Body pulled from Diversey Harbor ID'd as Peter Salvino, missing Northwestern PhD student, ME says
25-year-old's phone last pinged near Diversey Harbor; friend said he had been on his way home to area of 800 W. Lill Avenue
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The body of missing Northwestern PhD student Peter Salvino was found Tuesday, two days after he left a North Side party.
Chicago police said at about 5:15 p.m. their Marine Unit "responded to a follow-up investigation" at Diversey Harbor in the 2400-block of North Cannon Drive, near where Peter Salvino's phone last pinged early Sunday morning. Shortly before 6:30 p.m. police said they had pulled a body from the harbor.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the body is Salvino's.
SEE ALSO | Mysterious Drownings: The I-Team exposes deadly pattern
The 25-year-old was last seen leaving a party in the 2400-block of North Geneva Terrace in Lincoln Park.
Chicago police said he FaceTimed a friend at 11:59 p.m., saying he was walking to his apartment in the 800-block of West Lill Avenue and was about half a mile away. The friend called him again about 15 minutes later to confirm he arrived home, but Salvino said he was still walking.
"He picked up and again just like the FaceTime, he said he's cold, and he was about a half mile from home and he was heading home. Again, being a half mile, she then tried to call back 15 minutes later, and the call did not go through," said Scotty Gruszka, brother-in law.
Gruszka said Salvino was actually walking east toward Clark Street, away from his apartment. Video footage confirms Salvino was at the intersection of Clark and Fullerton at 11:43 p.m., and passed Big Apple Finer Foods at 11:44 p.m.
Police said at 12:31 a.m. Sunday his cell phone pinged a location near Diversey Harbor. At about 12:37 a.m., the friend once again called Salvino to see if he had gotten back, but police said the call went unanswered.
CPD said that between then and 9:30 a.m. multiple friends sent text messages, all of which were successfully delivered but none of which were answered.
Police said beginning at 9:45 a.m. all phone calls made to Salvino went straight to voicemail, and all text messages went undelivered.
His girlfriend said he is a doctoral student researching in the interdepartmental neuroscience program at Northwestern.
RELATED: Missing Chicago man last seen at River North bar Celeste on Saturday, family says
The Weiner's Circle confirmed that Salvino, who is a regular customer, stopped into the restaurant that night between 10:30 and 11 p.m., and shared an image of him caught on their surveillance video.
