Investigation continues into skeletal remains found near Illinois Beach State Park

Lake County authorities continue to seek the identity and the manner of death of the person whose skeletal remains were discovered June 17 in a wooded area near the entrance of Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park near Zion.

An anonymous tip led Zion police to the remains, authorities said. They do not know how long the remains had been there, nor do they know the manner of death.

“We are investigating if this may have been a homeless individual living in the immediate vicinity of where the body was located, based on evidence collected at the scene,” wrote Christopher Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County sheriff’s department in an email.

Authorities continue to conduct tests on the remains, Covelli said. He did not indicate when the testing will conclude.

“We do not want to sacrifice accuracy for speed,” he said.