Body Found After Human Leg Discovery Prompts River Search

LOCKPORT, IL — The body of an unidentified man has been found in the Des Plaines River, police said. The search for the body began Wednesday after a human leg was discovered by workers in the Lockport Lock. According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, the body was found in Joliet, just south of the Ruby Street Bridge.

Police started a comprehensive search, involving fire personnel from Joliet, Wilmington, Plainfield and Romeoville, at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Three teams of boats conducted a visual and sonar search of the Des Plaines River waterways. The Joliet Fire Department found the body a short time after starting the search, police said.

The Will County Coroner's Office was called to the scene and took possession of the body, according to police. The body appears to be related to the discovery of the human leg found Wednesday.

The coroner's office will conduct an autopsy on Saturday. The identification of the body is pending, and next of kin have to be notified. The coroner will determine the final cause of death at a later date pending the autopsy, toxicology and a thorough police investigation.

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