Jelani Day: The River Never Gave Him Back

About this episode

The episode discusses the mysterious case of Jelani Day, a graduate student whose body was found in the Illinois River, and the subsequent public campaign by his mother to seek justice and highlight issues in the treatment of missing Black men.

In August 2021, 25-year-old Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day was last seen leaving a dispensary in Bloomington-Normal, far from his apartment and with no clear reason to be there. His car was found abandoned miles away. Weeks later, his unclothed body was recovered from the Illinois River. The coroner ruled accidental drowning, but his mother refused to accept that answer. She launched a relentless public campaign that put a spotlight on how missing Black men are treated by investigators and the media. How did a focused, driven graduate student end up in a river with no explanation? If you’re new here, don’t forget to follow The Final Hours to never miss a case! For ad-free listening and early access subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. The Final Hours is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. 🎧 Need More to Binge? Listen to other Crime House Originals including Clues, Crime House 24/7, Crimes Of…, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Murder True Crime Stories and more wherever you get your podcasts! Follow us on Social Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube…

People in this episode

Hosts: Sarah Turney, Kourtney Nichole

Topics covered

• missing persons
• investigation
• public campaign
• accidental drowning
• media treatment
• Black men

Keywords

• Jelani Day
• missing persons
• Illinois State University
• accidental drowning
• public campaign
• Black men
• investigation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crime House

Places: Illinois, Bloomington-Normal, Illinois River

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