Leg Belonged To Man; Police Planning Des Plaines River Search

LOCKPORT, IL — An unidentified human leg from a white male was found Wednesday in the Des Plaines River in Lockport Township. According to the Will County Coroner's Office, barge workers found the leg at 10:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Lockport Locks, 2502 Channel Road.

Workers at the locks told police that while they assisted a ship through the lock, they were told by someone on the ship that he saw a leg floating in the water, according to police. Police checked the surrounding water for remains but did not see anything.

The coroner's office was notified, responded to the scene and collected the remains. The office said there were not any identifying marks on the leg, and no autopsy has been performed. An autopsy will be performed if the rest of the remains are found.

The Will County Sheriff's Office SWAT boat conducted a side-scan sonar grid search of the north and south ends of the locks on Thursday, police said. Police did not find any further remains in their search.

DNA samples were recovered from the leg, and the samples will be sent to the forensics lab for comparison. The cause or manner of death has not been established.

The Will County Sheriff's Office and Lockport Police Department are investigating the incident.

Image via Shutterstock.