Sad days at Liz and my old college, Northern Illinois University, in Dekalb. When we attended, graduating in 1973, nothing horrible ever happened much other than the sadness on the football field, but NIU now has had its third really bad incident in a little more than two years.
A freshman girl, Antinette "Toni" Keller, from Plainfield went for a walk back on October 14th, telling her floor mates at Neptune North that she was going to take a walk in the Prairie Park, just south of Lincoln Highway and the railroad tracks.
She did not return and a missing person's report was filed on the 15th.
A few days ago, human remains were discovered in the park and believed to be hers, but not identifiable at first.
Today, at a news conference, Dekalb police said they still aren't able to determine if the body is Toni's, but the case is considered a homicide. The body that was found is burned beyond recognition.
Students at the campus were angry because so few details had been released, but now there is considerable fear. The dorms are under lockdown and there is heightened security and police presence as the search for the culprits continues.
We were in Dekalb on the 16th and 17th for Homecoming and heard nothing at all about it until the 18th. We stayed in a hotel about a half mile from where the body was found.
Of course, Valentine's Day 2008, five students were murdered by a gunman who then killed himself in a lecture hall and this past February another student was wounded in the leg by a gunshot outside a residence hall.
Sad Times at Our Alma Mater. --RoadDog
Being an account of some things I'm interested in, what I'm doing, and reflections on my past, especially music.
Listen to this man. Seven years of college, you know. Trying to reason with 2020 and, now, 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment