Search Dogs Brought in to Help River Divers Looking for Murder Victim

Search-and-rescue dogs trained to do water recoveries pinpointed an area Monday where the body of Jeanie Parker may be in the Des Plaines River, and Tuesday helicopters will do an aerial search for the missing murder victim.

But Joliet Police Cmdr. Brian Benton warned it could be days and even weeks before they locate the 54-year-old Joliet woman, whose son, Charles McCullum, 21, has confessed to stabbing her and throwing her body into the river Thursday.

Many factors come into play, including the murkiness of the river, which in some areas is just 10 feet deep and in others is 30, Benton said.

"There's a very limited view in that water," he said. "(The divers) are essentially searching by feel, and the loss of any light makes it almost impossible to see."

Beyond that is the underwater current and the constant churning caused by barge traffic, Benton said. It's very easy for a body to get snagged under water or to get trapped in an eddy and it's possible it could have moved down river, he said.

"It's one of the reasons we acted so quickly (on Thursday)," Benton said.

Officials were hopeful that getting into the water as soon as possible would increase the odds of finding the victim before other factors came into play, he said.

However, Joliet Fire Department firefighters and divers have had no success despite daily searches.

On Monday, members of the Midwest K9 Emergency Response Team -- made up completely of volunteers -- brought search-and-rescue dogs trained to do water investigations were brought in to help in the work.

One dog was on shore and the other in a boat, and both "showed interest in a certain area," which is where the divers concentrated their efforts Monday, Benton said.

In addition to helicopters scanning the river Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is expected to bring out special sonar equipment that might be able to pick up unusual masses or interruptions in the water, he said.

Meanwhile, bridge tenders and barge companies have been notified to keep their eyes open, he said.

There's little doubt that the detailed story McCullum told about choking and stabbing his mother at the 5th Avenue home they shared and then driving to the river to dump her body is true based on the detailed account he provided, Benton said.

"We haven't any reason to think he misled us," he said. "All of the physical evidence shows that he was truthful."

Police are committed to finding the body as quickly as possible because they sympathize with family members, who are seeking the closure that can only come by finding their loved one, Benton said. But they also urge patience because it can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.

"We're doing everything we can," he said.