Murder On I&M Canal Trail: Illinois State Police Silent

JOLIET, IL — A memorial has been placed along the I&M Canal State Trail on the outskirts of Joliet by friends and relatives of 29-year-old Joliet resident Floyd Faint. The ex-convict who served time for being an armed habitual criminal was shot multiple times on Saturday morning along a secluded stretch of trail.

Nobody has been arrested in connection with Faint's slaying and the Illinois State Police District 5 is overseeing the homicide investigation.

Illinois Police rarely get involved in murder cases around Joliet because most of the homicides are handled by the Joliet Police Department, the Will County Sheriff's Department or one of the local municipalities such as Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Romeoville.

However, in this case, Rockdale's Police Department has turned the investigation over to the Illinois State Police, authorities informed Joliet Patch on Tuesday.

Rockdale is a community of 2,000 with a small police force.

On Tuesday, which marked the fourth day of the homicide investigation, Joliet Patch called the Illinois State Police District 5 to inquire about the progress of the case, but its investigation unit did not return phone calls.

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The Joliet Herald-News newspaper ran a story Tuesday afternoon headlined, "Illinois State Police Not Releasing More Details On I&M Canal Path Slaying."

The newspaper article indicated that someone thought they heard four gunshots around 6 a.m. on Saturday. The coroner's office indicated that Faint was pronounced dead shortly after 1 p.m.

The area where Faint was killed is approximately 100 yards west of main trail path, near Brandon Road and Route 6.

It could be a dangerous area to be alone.

As of this week, the weeds are several feet high along the murky waters, and the other side of the path, closer toward Route 6, is surrounded by thick brush and woodlands. If someone was hiding in the woods, it might be hard to spot them until it was too late to defend yourself.

There is also a small gravel parking lot on the other side of the I&M trail from where Faint was gunned down. This is where Joliet Patch parked.

To get from your car to the area where Faint was slain is about a two-minute walk.

Around 1 p.m. Tuesday, with Faint's killer on the loose, there were two vehicles in the small gravel parking lot. One was a senior citizen sitting in his car. The other was the operator of a Rockdale wastewater tanker, who appeared to be there eating his lunch.

While Joliet Patch surveyed the trail, there was not a single person jogging or walking along this section of I&M Canal Trail path, even though the weather was gorgeous.

In any event, Faint's killing marks the second time this month that a young man from Joliet was found dead in this same general area of Rockdale.

Both cases are being handled by the Illinois State Police.

On July 2, Joliet Patch reported that the body of 33-year-old Joliet resident Aikeem Kimble was found in the water at the Brandon Road Locks And Dam.

"This matter is an ongoing death investigation and no further information is available at this time," the Illinois State Police announced on Tuesday, July 2.

And on Saturday, July 20, Illinois State Police issued a press release in regard to the killing of Faint.

"A deceased subject was discovered on the I & M canal trail in Rockdale. Illinois State Police is investigating. There is no further information at this time."