Missing Chicago man found in forest preserve was shot to death, medical examiner says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The death of Arron Neal, a Chicago man who went missing last weekend, has been ruled a homicide after his body was found in a forest preserve in the south suburbs.
Neal was close to his family, so much so that he always shared his location with them using his phone, relatives said. That's eventually how his body was found Wednesday afternoon, with his loved-ones making the heartbreaking discovery.
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Neal was last seen leaving his grandmother's home in West Englewood on Saturday, his family said. Surveillance video showed him getting into an unknown white SUV after leaving the home at 71st and Oakley.
Chicago police said his body was found in south suburban Dixmoor in a wooded forest preserve area of Dixmoor Playfield Park Region 9.
Neal died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death has been ruled a homicide, the Cook County Medical Examiner said Thursday.
Grandmother type of kid. Loved his grandmother, loved his momma, his sisters. He loved music, being creative.Brandy Martin, Arron Neal's aunt
Brandy Martin is the aunt of Neal.
"And just to see the mom, her knees just bend and the sister fall out, you know, and the brother just tears pouring down. It's heartbreaking," Martin said. "His older sister is just broken."
For days, the family mounted a desperate search in that area in Dixmoor after Arron's "share my location" function on his phone last put him there.
"We had hope all the way up until we found him," Martin said. "The police did their search on Monday with helicopters, dogs, and a couple of people out there and found nothing."
The search came to a devastating end Wednesday afternoon as the family made another search.
We had hope all the way up until we found him.Brandy Martin, Arron Neal's aunt
Relatives said he was an aspiring rapper, popular and energetic, and they have no idea why anyone would harm him.
"Grandmother type of kid. Loved his grandmother, loved his momma, his sisters," Martin said. "He loved music, being creative."
Relatives said they were told by detectives Arron's phone was found in the Calumet River by a fisherman, miles away from where his body was discovered.
No further details were immediately available.
