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October 25, 2005
Remains may be those of missing ISU woman
The remains of a woman believed to be in her early 20s were found in recent days in a rural Mississippi chicken house, and authorities said Monday they may be a missing Illinois State University student.
Police in Downstate Normal -- where 21-year-old Olamide Adeyooye disappeared two weeks ago from an off-campus apartment -- were notified Sunday or Monday about the possible link. Illinois authorities are sending dental and medical records to the coroner in Newton County, Miss., about 70 miles east of Jackson and Interstate 55.
Police would not say whether the woman found is Adeyooye, but family and friends have been told the physical similarities are striking. It could be several days until the coroner can make a final identification, authorities in Mississippi said.
Adeyooye, of west suburban Berkeley, was last seen Oct. 13 at a Normal video store. Her green 1996 Toyota Corolla also is missing.
Adeyooye, who was to graduate from the 20,000-student college in December, was reported missing after she failed to show up for classes and her weekend job as a waitress.
'An isolated incident'
The disappearance was labeled a missing person case until last week, when police launched a criminal investigation after finding personal items belonging to Adeyooye near her apartment.
On Friday, the remains of a young black woman were found in a chicken house outside the city of Newton.
"It's just a lot of waiting right now. We still pray that she is still alive," said longtime friend Samantha Troha, 21, of west suburban Hillside.
Normal Police Lt. Mark Kotte said technology -- including electronic alerts across the nation -- plus the media attention led Mississippi authorities to call Normal police. It's unclear who found the body.
If the body does turn out to be Adeyooye, then police said they will quickly zero in on a "couple of persons of interest," some of whom have been questioned about her disappearance and others whom "we'd still like to talk with."
Without saying she knew her abductors, Kotte said this is not a case of people preying on college students. "This is an isolated incident we're looking at here," Kotte said.
Tag: Olamide Adeyooye
Posted by Nealus at October 25, 2005 07:57 AM
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