The body of a missing 16-year-old girl was discovered in a river just outside of Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend, days after she disappeared, authorities said.
Detectives subsequently launched a missing person investigation, which continued throughout the weekend. Investigators interviewed family members, reviewed surveillance footage, and also canvassed areas Neal was last known to visit.
On Sunday morning, just after 9:30 a.m., officials conducted a search in the vicinity of Abbott Drive and Wing Park, a wooded area roughly two miles away from where the Fox River runs beneath the Kimball Street Bridge. However, around noon, police said officers had cleared the area and that detectives were still working to track down Neal's whereabouts.
Officials said the teen's body was ultimately located by detectives hours later, around 3:50 p.m., just north of the bridge. The Elgin Fire Department and the Kane County Coroner’s Office did respond to the scene to assist with recovering the remains from the water.
Authorities have not provided any additional details about the circumstances surrounding Neal's disappearance. It is unclear whether she resided with her family in the residential area off Abbot Drive or where she was walking to at the time she went missing. NTD reached out to the Elgin Police Department for additional information, but a response was not received by publication time.
The coroner's office said a preliminary cause of death has yet to be determined, pending the results from a toxicology analysis. The manner of death is also being investigated, with the assistance of the local authorities.
"The Elgin Police Department extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Destiny Neal," officials said. "This matter remains under investigation but no further information is available at this time."