Burned body found in Jefferson County is that of woman missing since 2010, ISP says

Illinois State Police have confirmed that burned human remains found in rural Jefferson County in 2017 are that of a Woodstock woman who had been missing since 2010.

Benedetta “Beth” Bentley, 41, disappeared in May 2010 after a friend dropped her off at an Amtrak station in Centralia. Bentley was supposed to take the train back home to Woodstock, Illinois, near Chicago, but Amtrak had no records of her buying the ticket or boarding a train. She was reported missing shortly thereafter.

On Dec. 4, 2017, police found severely burned human remains in Jefferson County. On Tuesday, the body was positively identified as Bentley, according to a news release from ISP Zone 7 Investigations.

The results of the investigation have been forwarded to the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office for review, the release stated.

This story was originally published October 22, 2019 at 3:37 PM.

Hana Muslic

Belleville News-Democrat

618-239-2626

Hana Muslic has been a public safety reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat since August 2018, covering everything from crime and courts to accidents, fires and natural disasters. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Journalism and her previous work can be found in The Lincoln Journal-Star and The Kansas City Star.