MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Coroner's Office is working to identify partial human remains recovered from the Fox River on Wednesday night after a passerby discovered what authorities described as a partial human head near the 2000 block of Colby Drive in McHenry, officials told Patch.
The remains were found near the scene of Saturday's fatal Fox River boat crash that killed Magdalena Jablonska, 49, of Des Plaines. The McHenry County Coroner's Office was notified by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office at about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday after the discovery. Authorities are hoping to use dental records to positively identify the remains, Deputy Chief Coroner Olivia Zednick told Patch on Thursday.
"At this time, we have not yet been able to positively identify the remains that were found," the coroner's office said in a statement. "We understand how difficult this uncertainty is for the families and loved ones awaiting answers, and our team is working diligently and with the utmost care to establish a positive identification as quickly as possible."
On Tuesday, the coroner's office identified Jablonska as the woman killed when a 31-foot South Bay pontoon boat traveled over a 20-foot Crownline during Saturday's crash on the Fox River. According to authorities and court records, Jablonska was decapitated in the collision. A preliminary autopsy determined she died from blunt force injuries to the head and body.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the newly discovered remains belong to Jablonska. The McHenry County Coroner's Office said it continues to work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the McHenry County Sheriff's Office and the McHenry Township Fire Protection District as the investigation continues.
Richard Stevenson, 45, has been arrested in connection with the collision. He is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI and will remain behind bars as court proceedings move forward in McHenry County.
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