Severed Human Head, Other Remains Found Floating In Chicago’s Lagoon


Investigators in Chicago, Illinois, say that a severed head and other body parts were found inside of a bag, floating in a lagoon near McKinley Park on the South Side.

According to ABC 7 Chicago, at around 10 a.m. while a Chicago Park District worker was executing a routine clean-up at McKinley Park on 2210 W. Pershing, a garbage bag was found floating in the lagoon.

The worker was stunned to uncover a severed human head and other body parts inside of the garbage bag.

Chicago police were immediately notified, and upon arrival, they “cordoned off a large part of the park and used cadaver dogs and divers to look for the rest of the body.”

Just four days after the worker discovered the body parts, the lagoon was drained in an effort to locate additional body parts.

A container with human ashes and the name of a local funeral home written on it was later discovered. Investigators say the ashes may not be linked to the severed head and it could be a case of someone attempting to discard the ashes.

It was reported that investigators are treating the “discoveries of the ashes and the severed head as separate investigations” until further notice.

The Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, stated that they were able to locate more body parts and added that “this is still an ongoing investigation. The head has been identified as an adult, probably African-American. And there are some more body parts that have been sent to the Medical Examiner’s office.”

Andrew Holmes, who is a community activist, stated that while investigating the incident, it was determined that the “killing was recent.” He went on to say that “it looks like the head is not decomposed.”

“If this is indeed a human remains head, then some family’s going to get the unfortunate news about their loved one.”

After the severed head and other body parts were discovered in the lagoon, several people have stated that they won’t “be heading over to McKinley Park anytime soon.”

Residents say that weren’t at all shocked by the severed human head in the lagoon as the area tends to be a renowned area for criminal activity. Some residents carry mace for protection, stating that they don’t feel safe.

In fact, in a Facebook post, Mary Galvan wrote: “I’ve always wondered about that lagoon at McKinley Park. When I use to walk around that park I would tell my husband ‘I bet there are dead bodies in there.’ Whoever it is, may they rest in peace and prayers to the family.”

However, another Facebook user – Miranda Torres – stated that she “find it weird that this is the second dismembered body they’ve recently found in Chicago.

Some residents would disagree, calling the area peaceful, including Israel Trinidad who said: “It’s a peaceful area, nobody would suspect to put human remains in the pond over there where people fish and stuff too.”

“A lot of people come here to fish and stuff, to picnic, parties, and barbecue. It’s not really a bad area.”

Joel Herrera, who lives near the area, told reporters that this “is a just a bad situation” and he believes that “somebody may have tried to hide something.”

Just last Wednesday, Chicago police officials released a sketch of the victim’s head, who is believed to be African-American between the ages of 15 and 25 years old, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Initially, investigators believed the victim to be a male but as of now, the victim’s gender is unknown.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the person found floating in McKinley Park, you are urged to contact the Chicago’s Police Department at (312) 747-8730.

[Featured Image by Steve Geer/iStock Photo]

Share this article: Severed Human Head, Other Remains Found Floating In Chicago’s Lagoon
More from Inquisitr