Carbondale police hold checkpoint to get more answers after body found burning

CARBONDALE, IL (KFVS) - A death investigation is underway in Carbondale.

Officers are working to get answers after a body was found burning on Aug. 30.

On Sept. 6, police conducted an informational checkpoint at the intersection of East Main Street and Lewis Lane.

The goal was to gather additional information about the death investigation.

According to Carbondale Police, officers and firefighters were dispatched to a report of a fire around 8 a.m.

Carbondale Police say the body was found burning in a wooded area behind a business in the 900 block of East Main Street.

It is not clear if the person died before the fire.

One woman who works nearby said she thought it was a drill.

"I never even figured that it was that serious of an issue because there's never anything like that happening," Kahleelah Ali said. "So, my first thought was the most positive, that it was an emergency drill of some sort."

The identity of the victim remains unknown at this time, including the race and sex of the victim.

Investigators used a K-9 to search through the high brush. The scene was next to a creek, making it difficult for investigators to get back into the woods.

The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services Unit and the Jackson County Coroner's office are assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact police.

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