Body found in Chicago days after funeral home van stolen

A man’s body that was in a van stolen from a funeral home was found a day after the van was, CBS Chicago’s Jermont Terry and Andrew Ramos report.

The van was swiped from a funeral home in Rockford, Illinois, northwest of Chicago, over the weekend. The van was found Sunday. The corpse was found more than two miles away on Monday.

It was unclear how the van was stolen and who left the body of the 47-year-old in Chicago.

An anonymous 911 call brought Chicago Police to an alley after someone thought they spotted a body in the road. When officers arrived, they confirmed it.

The police presence in the Chicago neighborhood caught neighbors’ attention, and then more first responders arrived.

“An ambulance, fire truck, and I was just like: ‘Oh, what’s happening? Let me go do what I normally do – get on the porch and pay attention; try to figure it out,'” a neighbor said. “And then after that, I was just like, ‘Wow. They put out red tape. Let me get back in the house.'”

The red crime scene tape surrounded several abandoned homes on the block. The investigation spans all the way to Rockford.

Police there said the van was stolen Saturday afternoon from the Collins & Stone Funeral Home. A man’s body was in a body bag in the cargo area.

It’s not clear whether the thief knew the body was there.

“(What) the heck – they stole a body?” a witness remarked.

The van was found Sunday night in Chicago, according to Rockford police, 97 miles from the funeral home it was stolen from.

The body was found at 4:29 p.m. Monday, police said..

It remained unclear late Monday whether the family of the deceased man had been notified and what recourse they have – if any. 

Rockford police released surveillance images of a possible suspect, who was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and gloves.

He’s wanted not only for stealing the vehicle but for abuse of the corpse and moving the body without authorization.

Meanwhile, CBS Chicago says the body wasn’t covered in a bag – it was just dumped.

“I mean, I’m sorry that happened, honestly,” the neighbor said.

CBS Chicago reached out to the Rockford funeral home but it didn’t get back to the station.

Among other open questions was whether the van was running when it was stolen.