Body Dumped In Joliet Was Murder Victim: Will Co. Sheriff

JOLIET, IL - The body of a young woman found on Friday evening in Joliet Township's Forest Park area has been identified as 21-year-old Marissa Koziel. Will County Sheriff's Police also announced on Saturday afternoon that the former resident of Manhattan was the victim of murder. Saturday's autopsy performed by the Will County Coroner's Office determined that Koziel died from a single gunshot wound.

Later, Chief Deputy Sheriff Dan Jungles told Joliet Patch that Will County Sheriff's detectives believe that Koziel was already dead at the time her body was dumped near the roadway in the 1500 block of California Avenue in Joliet. Several teenagers walking along the street made the grim discovery around 5:15 p.m. on Friday, and they immediately called the police.

"Initially, deputies on scene were unable to determine an approximate age of the deceased individual due to the top half of her body being covered by an object," Will County Sheriff's police stated in Friday night's initial press release.

According to Jungles, the 21-year-old homicide victim had previously lived in Manhattan. On Feb. 14, her family reported her as a missing person to the Manhattan Police Department. "She was last seen by family members on Feb. 1," Will County announced on Saturday afternoon.

Jungles said it's his understanding that Marissa Koziel had been staying with friends and at motels in the Joliet and Lockport area in the days leading up to her disappearance and slaying. He said that sheriff's detectives "have been working hard" ever since police learned of the young woman's suspicious death on Friday evening.

"She definitely was not killed yesterday (evening)," Jungles told Patch.

Will County Sheriff's detectives are trying to determine where Koziel was killed. Police determined that the location on California Avenue was the dump site and her slaying took place elsewhere.

"If anyone has any information in regards to this case, they are urged to contact the Will County Sheriff's Office Investigation Division at 815-727-8574," Saturday's press release asked.

Over the past few years, Koziel had an extensive rap sheet at the Will County Courthouse, online court records show. She had multiple cases involving underage drinking, marijuana possession, also criminal thefts and resisting arrest.

Several of her criminal cases originated in the village of New Lenox, according to court records.

Koziel was booked into Will County Jail twice last year, jail logs show. On June 27, Koziel was arrested by the Mokena Police Department on three counts of domestic battery and one count of resisting arrest. She remained in the Will County jail until being released on July 6, jail logs show. She was also incarcerated on Oct. 4-5 in connection with the same court case, before being released.

In January, Koziel pleaded guilty and a judge in Will County sentenced her to two years of court supervision. At the time, Koziel was living in the 11500 block of Mokena's Bryn Mawr Way, court records show.

Image of Marissa Koziel via Will County Sheriff's Department