Social media users are demanding justice for Jelani Day and his family amidst disturbing findings from his recent autopsy. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, an autopsy performed by a private forensic pathologist found that Day’s corpse was missing its organs, including his brain, liver and spleen. His eyeballs had reportedly been removed, his front top and bottom teeth were missing, his jawbone had been “sawed out” and his genitalia was unidentifiable.
A pathology report added that Day’s organs were “completely liquefied.” According to MEAWW, his family’s attorney, Hallie M Bezner, is currently seeking out scientific explanations for how his body could have decomposed so severely.
A body discovered in the Illinois River near Peru, Illinois on Sept. 4 — over a week after his Aug. 24 disappearance — was confirmed to be Day’s on Sept. 23. Police have since called the circumstances surrounding the 25-year-old Illinois State University student’s death and disappearance “very suspicious.”
Before his body was found, Day’s mother expressed her frustration about the lack of coverage regarding his disappearance.
“I was very frustrated with the fact that Jelani hadn’t been getting the coverage,” Carmen Day told the Sun-Times. “Jelani has been missing for 24 days. It appears that help has ceased. I’m imploring, pleading and asking that the police still pay attention and look for my son.”
At the time, media coverage was heavily centered around missing woman Gabby Petito, about whom Day’s mother said, “Her face is plastered everywhere and the FBI is involved. And I do not understand why Jelani doesn’t get that same coverage; Jelani doesn’t get that same attention.”
On Monday (Oct. 11), #JusticeForJelaniDay began trending on Twitter as users pointed out the disturbing circumstances surrounding his death.
“One day y’all will soon realize organ trafficking is just as real & scary as sex trafficking. If you look into how many BLACK bodies are found w/ no organs inside of them you’ll be very surprised & disgusted,” one person wrote. “… An article about Jelani Day today said multiple of his organs was missing from his body. I definitely feel like they organ trafficked this young man.”
“Jelani didn’t kill himself his body was found with no organs no eyes, his genitalia was damaged etc this wasn’t a suicide he was murdered & no one is coming forward,” another person tweeted.
On Saturday (Oct. 9), hundreds of Day’s friends, family and neighbors gathered at Danville High School to celebrate his life and legacy. See posts about the autopsy’s findings on Twitter below.