By David Lohr

May 31, 2007

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JOLIET, Ill. (Crime Library)  — On Monday, reporters anxiously awaited the identification of a body found in Joliet.  The location of the discovery was about 20 minutes from the home of Lisa Stebic, a 37-year-old mother of two, who has been missing since last month.  When news of the body made its way through the grapevine, many were certain Lisa had been found dead.  However, the county medical examiner quickly determined the victim was an African-American female, thus ruling out the possibility that the victim was Lisa.  Now, two local police departments have more questions than answers.  Where is Lisa Stebic, and who is the dead girl found in Joliet?

Lisa Stebic

On the morning of May 28, two women riding on horseback discovered the unidentified victim's remains on the Pilcher Park horse trail in Joliet.  The following day, Joliet Police Chief Fred Hayes held a press conference at the Joliet Police Department regarding the discovery of Jane Doe.  According to Hayes, the victim was an African-American female between the ages of 13 and 17.  She was between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-5 with a slight build, and her hair was braided in a ponytail.

The victim had been shot in the chest and head prior to being dumped on the horse trail, where she was set on fire.  Hayes said the county coroner was able to obtain fingerprints from the victim, but attempts to use them to identify her were unsuccessful.

"This victim does not match any local or national missing-person report that we have at this time," Hayes said.  "Detectives have done an extensive search of the wooded area and canvassed the (nearby) apartments and houses.  We have no reports of anyone missing."

Reconstruction of Victim's Face

With the help of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Joliet Police Department was able to create a digital rendering of a reconstruction of the victim's face, which they believe may help aid in her identification.

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Contact  David Lohr at         crimewriter74@hughes.net

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