Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Deputy Chief Michael McNamara issued a statement Friday afternoon regarding the disappearance of Dana Hayes, " The Park Forest Police Department is sad to announce, that the body discovered near a utility right of way in Thornton, Illinois, on 3/23/10 is that of missing Park Forest resident, Dana Hayes. The identification was made through DNA submitted to the Illinois State Police crime lab where it was compared to previously submitted DNA from Dana Hayes."
On March 23, 2010 the Thornton Police Department responded to report of a body located along the utility right of way in the 300 block of Armory Drive. The body appeared to be female and was discovered by workers from the Water Reclamation District of Chicago who were performing routine maintenance inspections. Detectives from the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services responded, collected the remains and had the body removed to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s facility.
On March 24th 2010, the Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as homicide from numerous assaults.
Since Monday, January 25, 2010, the Park Forest Police Department has been conducting a “Missing Persons” investigation in reference to Park Forest resident, Dana Hayes. According to her family, Ms. Hayes dropped her son off at Rich East H/S that Monday morning but never arrived at her place of employment. According to Ms. Hayes’ family it was totally out of character for Ms. Hayes to be gone from home and not notify her son or other family members or not to appear at work.
Ms. Hayes’ vehicle, a 2005, Silver, Kia Spectra 4 door, Illinois license plate, A273099 was run (computer searched) by the South Holland Police on the morning of January 25, 2010 in a South Holland hotel parking lot.
Dana Hayes’ vehicle was later located unoccupied, parked on a residential street in Harvey, Illinois on January 27, 2010.
The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, along with several Park Forest Detectives, have continued to work investigative leads, interviewing Ms. Hayes’ friends and acquaintances in an effort to learn of her whereabouts at that time.
As reported in the media, Ms. Hayes had a February 9, 2010, court date with her ex-boyfriend, Terrence Coulter, 35, who was charged with stabbing her numerous times in Riverdale approximately two years ago. Coulter was free on bond at the time of Ms Hayes’s disappearance.
During the month of January, Detectives obtained several Cook County search warrants in an effort to obtain evidence leading to more information regarding Ms. Hayes’ disappearance. Park Forest and South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force Detectives served search warrants on Terrence Coulter’s home and vehicle in Dolton. Detectives recovered a loaded .380 handgun and other evidence in his bedroom.
On Monday, February 1, 2010, Coulter was arrested by Park Forest detectives on an unrelated charge for a parole violation. He was questioned but refused to make any statement regarding the disappearance of Ms. Hayes.
On February 2, 2010, Terrence Coulter was charged with felony Possession of a Firearm w/o a Valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card. He was also charged with a misdemeanor Violation of an Order of Protection for failure to surrender the weapon when he was arrested in the Riverdale stabbing incident. He was transported to the Cook County court in Markham for a bond hearing. He is presently being held at the Cook County jail.
The Park Forest Police Department and members of the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force will continue to move forward investigating the death of Ms. Hayes. At this time, out of respect to the Hayes family, police say there will be no interviews given by members of the Park Forest Police Department to the media.
Source: PFPD
