Aurora: Body Found in Retention Pond During Search for Missing Woman Shafia Murad
Aurora police found a body in a retention pond Monday evening while searching for Shafia Murad, 32, who had been missing since May 28. The body has not yet been identified. An autopsy is scheduled Wednesday.
A search for a missing woman ends with a grim discovery in Aurora
Aurora police found a body in a retention pond on Monday evening while searching for a 32-year-old woman who had been missing for nearly a week.
The body was discovered around 7:35 p.m. in the area of North Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard, less than a mile from the Chicago Premium Outlets, according to the Aurora Police Department.
Investigators were conducting follow-up work in the disappearance case of Shafia Murad, 32, when they spotted an object in the pond. Aurora Police Department drone operators confirmed it was a deceased person, officials said.
The Aurora Fire Department responded and pulled the body from the water. The Kane County Coroner's Office took over the investigation into the person's death.
Who was Shafia Murad?
Murad was last seen around 1:30 p.m. on May 28 in the area of the Chicago Premium Outlets, in the 1600 block of Premium Outlet Boulevard, according to police.
CBS Chicago reported that Murad has a severe medical condition, and her family was desperate to find her as days passed without contact.
Detectives initially searched the outlet mall and surrounding area after she was reported missing. As the investigation progressed, they pursued leads and reviewed surveillance footage that indicated Murad had traveled to the area of Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard.
That intelligence prompted police to return to the area on Monday.
Identification pending autopsy
"At this time, the individual has not been positively identified, and the circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation," Aurora police said in a news release.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 at the Kane County Coroner's Office. The coroner will determine the official identification as well as the cause and manner of death, authorities said.
The Aurora Police Department says the investigation remains ongoing.
Timeline of events
- May 28, ~1:30 p.m. — Shafia Murad is last seen near the Chicago Premium Outlets
- May 28 — Murad is reported missing; police begin searching the mall and surrounding area
- May 28 through June 1 — Detectives review surveillance footage and pursue leads pointing to the Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard area
- June 2, ~7:35 p.m. — Police discover a body in a retention pond near Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard
- June 2 — Aurora Fire Department recovers the body; Kane County Coroner's Office takes over
- June 3 — Autopsy scheduled