Two people have been charged after boaters made a gruesome discovery on Lake Mattoon in Illinois. As reported by People, they were arrested and charged on Thursday, July 2.
The two were named as 26-year-old James Adams and 62-year-old Robin Turner. They were both charged with concealment of a homicide as well as dismembering a human body.
The victim was named as 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner. Boaters had found his severed arm on Sunday, June 28. Police ended up needing to appeal to the public, as that's all they found that was helpful.
Luckily, he had distinctive tattoos on his arm, which helped him to be identified.
A press release from Illinois State Police explained that they later managed to find more of Turner's remains. They added that they quickly identified the duo as suspects and were able to execute a search warrant to arrest them.
The press release also said they found more evidence during the raid. But we aren't quite sure as to what exactly they found.
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One of the People Who Found the Arm in the Lake Recalled What Happened
Of course, finding a severed arm in a lake isn't exactly a normal occurrence. Local news outlet WCIA interviewed one of the boaters who made the discovery that shocking evening.
Sammy Flynn, of Effingham County, recalled her father saying there were dead fish near her boat before the harrowing discovery.
"My dad handed me an oar from the boat, and he said, 'Hey, there's some dead fish coming by, why don't you get those away from us?' I said, 'Okay,'" she recalled. Fair request, if you ask me.
But then, she realized something was wrong. "I was like, 'Something's not right,' and I saw the tattoo."
Their immediate reaction was to call the marina as well as 911. They were told to stay in place, and further to keep the arm in place with a paddle.
"When the cops finally came they said that was the right elbow," she explained. "Unreal. You see it in movies, you see it happen in other places, but not this close and not to you or your family and friends that are with you."
