Lake County

Lake County officials ID woman found dead on side of suburban road

The Lake County Sheriff's Office says it is investigating the incident as a homicide

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The Lake County Sheriff's Office has identified a woman whose body was found in a bag on the side of a roadway in Old Mill Creek on Wednesday morning.

According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, deputies at 7 a.m. responded to a report of a possible body on the side of the road at Hunt Club Road south of Route 173.

“Right away, they were able to confirm there was a body of a deceased Caucasian woman on the side of the road,” Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said.

According to the Lake County Coroner's Office, the woman was identified as 39-year-old Chicago resident Megan Lewis.

The preliminary results of the autopsy indicated that Lewis' cause of death was strangulation, according to officials.

Covelli said Wednesday that there were signs that the victim had been attacked, but officers are still searching for clues.

“She did have some trauma to her face that was visible to the detectives at the scene,” Covelli said.

Jim and Karen Belli live approximately one-half mile from where the body was found, and said that the area has always been a quiet one.

“It’s not the norm,” Jim said. “This is something very rare. You don’t have this happen up here too often.”

Officials say there is no risk to the public, and an investigation into the death remains ongoing.

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