By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
On the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 24, the Independent learned the grisly news that the remains of Elmhurst resident and United Airlines executive Jake Cefolia had been found deep in the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Lemont, where his vehicle had been abandoned 14 months ago.
According to several news sources, including NBC Channel 5 News in Chicago, DuPage County Forest Preserve Police Chief David Pederson said that on Friday, Oct. 22, contractors were working in the wooded area removing invasive species, when they found what appeared to be human remains hung from a low hanging tree branch.
“The human remains were located in a very thickly covered brush area – extremely — so you could be 10 feet away and not see it,” Pederson told NBC 5.
According to a release from DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen, a forensic odonatologist confirmed the remains to be Cefolia’s after examining his dental records.
Jorgensen released the identify of Cefolia, 50, after an autopsy was performed on Saturday, although a cause and manner of death have not yet been determined and remain under investigation, the release said.
The history of a missing person
In its Aug. 20, 2020, issue, the Independent brought its readers the news that the then-49-year-old senior vice president of Worldwide Sales for United Airlines had last been seen on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 6. After several family members reported that no response had been received from calls and text messages over a few days, Cefolia’s ex-wife went to his home to check on him and then reported him missing to police.
Cefolia’s Range Rover Sport had been discovered in the Lemont forest preserve parking lot, where he often went for a run or to hike the trails. Officials from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District began a search for Cefolia, using not only Illinois law enforcement, local police and K-9 units but also 100+ volunteers who came out to help. A Facebook page set up for those concerned about Cefolia drew 1600 members.
United Airlines releases timeline, new details
In its Sept. 3 issue, the Independent shared the news that after 20 days, Cefolia was still missing and that United Airlines was offering some new information that wasn’t previously available. UA officials noted that these details make the entire situation “even stranger.”
• On Thursday, Aug. 6, Cefolia returned from California and was seen at home by family and coworkers.
• On Friday, Aug. 7, Cefolia missed a corporate event, however, he was seen on video getting gas at around 10 a.m. and was also seen on video entering Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, wearing hiking boots and khakis (NOT typically what a person would wear if going for a jog.)
• He took no traceable devices with him, as his cell phone and Apple Watch were both found at home. According to the missing person’s report filed by the DuPage County Forest Preserve officers, his abandoned car contained a COVID face mask, a gray pullover and, in the trunk, a set of golf clubs and $120 in cash.
• On Saturday, Aug. 8, Cefolia was reported missing.
• On Monday, Aug. 10, Cefolia’s family hired a private investigator.
• On Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15, extensive searches of the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve were carried out.
• During the searches, articles of clothing were found, which were turned over to police. The found shoes were confirmed not to be Cefolia’s, but it’s not clear if a shirt that was found belonged to him.
• A rotting smell was also reported, but that turned out to be a decaying deer.
• Cefolia was trying to sell his Elmhurst home. It hit the market on June 16, had a price reduction on July 16, and had a further price reduction on Aug. 4, two days before he went missing. It is unknown whether or not this information is significant to his disappearance.
Questions remain
There are still questions about Cefolia’s disappearance.
Even though Cefolia has been missing and apparently deceased all these months, he was still somehow able to sell his house “in abstentia.”
According to a report from the York Township Assessor’s Office obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Cefolia sold his four-bedroom, two-bath home in Elmhurst for $523,000 in November after having listed it in June. It is unclear how Cefolia closed on the sale of his home in November, when he went missing in August.
Another question that remains is that Cefolia was reportedly under some sort of criminal investigation at the time he went missing. Several news sources have reported it but the nature of the investigation was never released by authorities.
