By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Authorities confirmed a woman found dead Sunday evening in the woods at Funks Grove was murdered, but they don’t know her identity.
The McLean County Sheriff and Coroner issued a news release declaring her death a homicide, the third McLean County murder case since mid-May. Investigators are not releasing how she died. They’re also seeking the public’s help in trying to identify the white female, who was approximately 45 to 50-years old.
Authorities said she was five feet tall, weighed 103 pounds, had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a scar on her left wrist.
Her surgical history included a bilateral tubal ligation, and possibly had given birth in the past.
The sheriff’s department and coroner also released two photos, one showing a tattoo on her left forearm that says, “Leo’s Lady.” The other picture is of a gray necklace with white-colored stones and blue connecting hearts.
Meantime, portions of the Sugar Grove Nature Center at Funks Grove remains a crime scene, and much of that area has been closed off to public access until further notice. Sugar Grove’s nature center, Imagination Grove, and all other buildings and trails in the area, including the outdoor Chapel of the Templed Trees are all shut down. The grave site areas of the Funks Grove Cemetery and church will remain open.
A statement on its Facebook page expresses shock and sadness that a violent crime happened at a location that is “meant to be a refuge, a place of comfort, solace, and connection to the natural world.”
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
