Jelani Day Foundation dinner postponed

Posted on August 4, 2023

*Jelani Day was an Illinois State University graduate student who suddenly went missing and was later found dead in Sept. 2021 in the Illinois River. (Photo courtesy WMBD-TV)*

NORMAL – The family of Jelani Day has announced via Facebook that the Jelani Day Foundation 2nd Annual All-White Remembrance Dinner has been postponed.

The dinner was originally set for Aug. 26 but was postponed due to recent investigation and case updates that the family said they must focus on.

The new date for the dinner is set for Feb. 3, 2024.

The family said that those who have already purchased tickets will be able to attend the dinner in February. They also stated that those with tickets may request a full refund or donate the ticket to a Jelani Day Foundation supporter who would like to attend the dinner.

Day was an Illinois State graduate student who suddenly went missing and was later found dead in Sept. 2021 in the Illinois River. It took officials nearly three weeks to identify Day’s body.

This led to the creation of the Jelani Day Bill, a bill that requires county coroners to turn over an unidentified dead body to the FBI if it has been over 72 hours.

The coroner on the case ruled his death a drowning, but Day’s family is not quite convinced.

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