Police are looking into the possibility that the remains found in a Lincoln Park lagoon over the weekend may be those of a missing Elgin woman who disappeared while walking her dog Friday.
Gail Peck, 76, was last seen Friday leaving her home alongside her dog in the 700 block of Littleton Trail on the east side of Elgin. A couple of hours later, the dog returned home but Peck was nowhere to be found.
A large search effort began and police said they have been speaking with Peck's son, Brian, who initially reported her missing. No charges have been filed in the case but the investigation is being treated as "criminal," police said.
On Monday, the Elgin Police Department said it was working with the Chicago Police Department "on the possibility that the body that was found in a lagoon area near Lincoln Park is related to this case."
Fishermen found the suspected human remains Saturday morning inside a duffle bag in the neighborhood lagoon, located in the 2200 block of North Stockton Drive.
Members of the police Marine Unit responded and later discovered a second duffle bag with additional remains, police said. The remains in both bags were believed to be from the same person.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office was investigating and detectives began looking into missing persons reports for possible leads.
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Elgin Deputy Chief Bill Wold said it could take days before the body found in the area is identified.
"Additional testing will need to be conducted before we can confirm there is a connection," police wrote on Facebook. "Nobody has been charged in the case at this time and all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."
