Custom dental grill may be key in identifying body found shot and burned, police say
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a person they say was killed earlier this week by releasing photos of a unique dental grill the person was wearing.
The body was found “burned beyond recognition” in the aftermath of a fire at a Washington Park home Monday night. The person had been shot and was found under a pile of burning tires, Master Sgt. Michael Lewis of the Illinois State Police said Thursday.
Police believe the person was a man and between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 1 inch tall. They have not determined a race of the body, Lewis wrote in a news release.
The grill, a removable dental prosthesis, they recovered is from both the upper and lower part of the person’s mouth. As it is a custom grill, they hope someone will recognize and help investigators identify the body.
“While we are using traditional forensic means to identify the body, we believe someone will recognize this piece and could more quickly identify this individual,” Lewis wrote.
Lewis said ISP is investigating the incident as a homicide.
Anyone with information about this case can contact Illinois State Police Special Agent Travis Irwin at 618-484-5189.
This story was originally published November 30, 2018 at 6:49 AM.
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