Investigation Into Teen's Des Plaines River Death: Commissioner Boykin Provides Update

OAK PARK, IL — It’s been over a month since 16-year-old Cameron Sanders went missing in the Des Plaines River. The Cook County Inspector General Pat Blanchard has since launched a full-scale investigation to see what went wrong with the search, which took five days before the teen’s body was discovered. Patch recently spoke with Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin Tuesday, who reassured us that everything is being done to “get to the bottom of what happened” in the hopes that a similar tragedy can be avoided in the future.

In the weeks since Sanders’ body was recovered in the Des Plaines River, Boykin has urged officials to investigate the matter more deeply. Boykin believes that the root of the problem was jurisdictional, with none of the local law enforcement organizations being sure who was in charge. Rainbow Bridge, where Sanders jumped into the river, is owned by the Canadian National Railroad, but falls under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Forest Preserve Police, since it is in an unincorporated part of Cook County.

In direct contradiction to this, Lambrini Lukidis, who handles communications for the Cook County Forest Preserve Police, told Chicago Tribune in May that the Des Plaines River was under the jurisdiction of the Illinois State Police, so the forest preserve had “technically been an assisting agency.”

According to Boykin, Forest Preserve Police generally invite the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to assist with a case. He said forest preserve officials asked to use the sheriff’s helicopter when Sanders went missing on Saturday, May 13. The sheriff’s office allowed them to use the helicopter, but that was all the assistance they requested, Boykin said. The Forest Preserve Police suspended the search Sunday.

The following Monday, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced that the sheriff’s department would take over the investigation. Cook County Police Chief Cara Smith said, "The instant Sheriff Dart learned the search was suspended, he immediately launched a full-scale search and recovery mission." According to Boykin shared, “[Sheriff Dart] didn’t see a well-coordinated effort in the recovery, so as the county sheriff, he decided it was his responsibility to fill the leadership vacuum.” Sanders’ body was recovered the following Thursday.

The commissioner also mentioned that the Illinois State Police is gathering additional information from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Melrose Park Police Department and other assisting organizations regarding the search for Cameron Sanders.

Boykin plans to meet with Canadian National Railway to see what measures they are putting in place to ensure that safety barricades or warning signs are added to prevent another such tragedy in the future.

In the meantime, Commissioner Boykin has faith in Inspector General Blanchard’s investigation.
“I’m confident that [Blanchard] is going to do a great job in making sure that going forward if something like this happens that there will not be jurisdictional issues as far as who is in charge, who is on base and who is sitting in the chair.” He added, “Our aim is to make sure the county’s response in these tragic situations is a response that all of us county taxpayers can be proud of.”

>>Image via Cameron Sanders GoFundMe