Authorities are investigating after a partial head was found in the Fox River in McHenry County Wednesday night.
According to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein, the McHenry County Sheriff’s office said a partial head was found in the water around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday.
“At this time, we have not yet been able to positively identify the remains that were found,” Rein’s office said in a statement.
Though it’s not yet clear if the discovery is related, the investigation follows a deadly boat crash on the water that killed 48-year-old Magdalena Jablonska and wounded her fiancé and dog.
The incident unfolded about 2:30 p.m. Saturday along the Fox River south of the McHenry Dam in McHenry, officials said. Richard Stevenson, who was driving a 31-foot pontoon, struck the rear of a 20-foot Crownline Jablonska was in before “riding over” the smaller boat and coming to a stop on land.
In court earlier this week, prosecutors said Jablonska was decapitated in the crash and not all of her body had been recovered.
Stevenson, of Lisle, is facing multiple charges in the case, including aggravated DUI and reckless homicide, records show. According to prosecutors, Stevenson’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit when he sped his high-powered pontoon in a slow zone and slammed into the other boat at 80 mph.
The coroner’s office said it continues to work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and McHenry County officials on the case.
“We understand how difficult this uncertainty is for the families and loved ones awaiting answers, and our team is working diligently and with the utmost care to establish a positive identification as quickly as possible,” Rein’s statement read. “We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as this process continues.”