Lake Michigan Jane Doe 2021: Pregnant Woman Found In Harbor
*UPDATE* Lake Michigan Jane Doe has been identified as 19-year-old Yarianna Wheeler. She was identified through dental records. Her case is being investigated as a homicide, and authorities claim that she suffered “sharp blunt” injuries. She was between six and nine months pregnant. I send my sincerest condolences to her loved ones during this difficult time.
Original Story:
A mystery was launched a week ago after the body of a woman, dubbed Lake Michigan Jane Doe, was located in Lake Michigan in Illinois. On August 15, approximately three miles from the Waukegan Harbor, around 3:00 p.m., a fisherman discovered the body of a pregnant woman floating in the lake. Authorities rushed to the scene and pulled the woman from the water, and later, it was determined that she had been there between seven to 12 days.
As investigators attempt to piece together what happened to Lake Michigan Jane Doe, the search for where she may have come from is extensive. Authorities have speculated that she could have entered the water from the northern shoreline of Indiana all the way to the northern shoreline of Illinois.
There was another body found in Lake Michigan on August 15, but police don’t believe the two cases are connected. A Wisconsin man, 49-year-old Martin Mendoza, reportedly drowned in Chicago nearly a week prior.
Authorities have released a sketch (pictured) hoping that someone will come forward to identify Lake Michigan Jane Doe. It is reported that she was somewhere between six and seven months pregnant. However, the cause of death has not been shared at the time of this publication.
There are also at least two other Lake Michigan Jane Doe cases: one in 1988 and another in 1997.
This 2021 Jane Doe is described as being approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing between 150 to 170 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair (looked to be pulled back in a bun) and brown eyes. Her fingernails and toenails were well-groomed and painted white. She was wearing a pink sundress.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Department at 847-377-4000, Lake County Sheriff Detective Lana Lemons at (847) 377-4148, or their local authorities.
Please share this story about Lake Michigan Jane Doe to help find out who she is and to reunite her and her unborn child with their family. She is our sister, and her life matters.
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Sources
NBC Chicago
Illinois News Today
ABC 7 Chicago
Daily Herald
