Teen Found Dead In Cornfield Remembered As Selfless, Smart

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL -- Funeral services have been set for an 18-year-old Woodstock man who was found dead in a cornfield Monday. A visitation for Ryan Hanson will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Schneider Leucht Merwin & Cooney Funeral Home, 1211 N. Seminary Ave. in Woodstock. The visitation will continue at the funeral home from 10 a.m. on Saturday until the time of the funeral service at 11 a.m., according to Hanson's obituary.

In the days following his death, family and friends are remembering Hanson as a smart, athletic, funny and selfless, the Northwest Herald reports. Hanson graduated eighth in his class from Woodstock North High School this past May, according to his obituary. While in high school, he was a member of the cross-country, track and field and tennis teams and was a state finalist while a member of Woodstock North's Math and Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering teams. In addition, Hanson loved "scouting" and was active in Wonder Lake Boy Scout Troop 456 from kindergarten up until he attained Eagle Scout rank.

Hanson was enrolled in the Pathways Engineering program at McHenry County College and the University of Illinois, tackling a double major in computer engineering and mathematics, at the time of his death.

As his family prepares for his funeral, authorities are not clear on what lead to the teen's death. Hanson was reported missing at about 6 p.m. on Monday and a search for him lead authorities to a cornfield at 1211 Charles Road in unincorporated Woodstock. There, authorities located the teen's 2003 Honda CRV, according to a news release from the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

• Teen Found Dead In Cornfield: Authorities
  

The vehicle was parked in a farm access point, and Ryan's body was found about 1100 feet from the Honda CRV, according to police.

A preliminary investigation has revealed the teen did not suffer any trauma, police said. The death is also not being considered suspicious in nature, McHenry County Coroner Anna Majewski said in a news release.

Michael Hanson, Ryan's father, told the Northwest Herald his son was found facedown in the field and the only injuries on his body were apparently from when he fell forward. He said it appears he did not use his hands to stop his fall.

"The best they can determine at this point is his heart stopped," Michael told the Northwest Herald. "We don’t know the reason yet."

A cause of death is "pending further studies," Majewski said, and the teen's death remains under investigation.

More via the Northwest Herald and Ryan Hanson's obituary