Crime & Safety
Body ID’d As Aurora Woman Missing Since 2003: Police
Aurora police opened a homicide investigation after finding the remains of 22-year-old Tyesha Bell, who was reported missing in May 2003.
AURORA, IL — Aurora police are investigating the death of 22-year-old Tyesha Bell as a homicide after her body was found in a shallow grave in December, authorities announced Tuesday.
Bell was last seen in May 2003 while she was leaving her apartment on the city’s West Side to take a phone call, police said.
She “left the television on, candles burning in her bedroom and her two young children with family members,” showing she did not intend to leave for long, Aurora Police Commander Jack Fichtel said.
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Skeletal remains were found Dec. 11 in a shallow grave in a “wooded area” in Kane County, but authorities worked for several months to identify the body, Coroner Rob Russell said Tuesday.
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Numerous items, including clothes and personal effects, were found near the grave, but none of them confirmed the victim’s identity, Russell said. The Kane County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy in mid-December and worked with dental and bone specialists to create a profile of the body, Russell said.
That profile — which showed the victim was likely a 25-40-year-old black woman whose height was between 5 feet, 5 inches and 5 feet, 11 inches — was sent to law enforcement agencies, and the Aurora Police Department identified Bell as a possible match, Russell said.
The Illinois State Police’s Crime Lab confirmed earlier this month that the remains were those of Tyseha Bell, Russell said.
“Over the past 18 years, investigators have tirelessly followed up on numerous leads and theories to bring some sense of justice to Tyesha’s family and loved ones,” Fichtel said Tuesday.
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Fichtel urged anyone who has information about Bell’s disappearance or death to contact police.
“While we followed up on numerous leads over the past 18 years, our frustration mounts considering that we believe someone knows what happened and has yet to come forward,” Fichtel said.
The Aurora Police Department has opened a line dedicated to tips about Tyesha Bell’s case at 630-256-5517. Tips can also be sent to tips@aurora.il.us or be left anonymously by calling Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.
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