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Body found in creek in Salem’s Westside industrial park

By News Mar 7, 2021 | 8:19 PM

Salem Police Chief Sean Reynolds says an investigation is underway into a body found in a creek flowing through vacant land in the Westside industrial park.

Reynolds is not aware of any identification being found on the body and it was not immediately clear how long the person had been dead.

Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon says a forensic autopsy will be completed in Champaign Monday morning in hopes of making an identification.    He believes the body is that of a male who had been dead most likely for a few weeks.  At this point, no age can be provided.   Cannon is not aware of any missing person reports in the time frame the death may have occurred.

Reynolds says a person looking at the property south of Howell Paving first noticed a smell but thought it was an animal until they spotted a body in a creek that runs through the land.

One question that will need to be answered is if the man died where the body was found or had been washed down the creek following the recent snowmelt and heavy rain.   Cannon says a review of weather records may be able to provide a clearer time period of when the death may have occurred.

Salem Police called in the State Police Crime Scene Investigation unit to assist in the investigation.   A Marion County investigator was also called because the location of where the death occurred was unclear.    Members of the Salem Fire Protection District helped remove the body from the creek and place it in the coroner’s possession for investigation.

Salem Police received the call about the body being found at 1:48 Sunday afternoon.

We’ll provide further updates when they become available.