Daughter of missing woman found dead in creek: ‘I don’t have closure’

Two people in Milledgeville, Illinois are looking for closure after their mother was found dead this week in a Whiteside County creek.

Susan Redell, 62, of Milledgeville, had been missing for more than two months.

On March 16, when Redell disappeared, the family spent countless hours, days and weeks searching for her. Law enforcement and members in the community assisted with tracking down Redell, but she was nowhere to be seen.

It was only until Monday when the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police found Redell’s body in Rock Creek, just outside of Morrison.

“My mind was blown away that they had found her in a creek,” says Redell’s daughter, Megan Cox. “They said that they could only identify her by her tattoo on her back.”

Local 4’s Joshua Vinson spoke with the family, who says Redell was “very strong and compassionate.” Cox says she wouldn’t be the woman she is today without her mother, adding that Redell taught her to treat everyone with respect.

Redell was an LPN and black belt in taekwondo. The family says it wasn’t uncommon for her to walk long distances along county highways in both Carroll and Whiteside Counties.

Cox told Local 4’s Joshua Vinson that, over the past few years, the family noticed Redell’s health condition began to decline. Recently, Cox was caring for her sick mother, ensuring she was getting the help she needed. Cox believes Redell suffered from dementia.

Cox says it’s been “really tough” these last two weeks since her mother disappeared, and she and her brother Scott Howard are looking for closure.

“I don’t have closure,” says Cox. “I have so many more questions. How did my mom end up in that creek? Was it something medically that happened, and she fell in the creek?”

Cox says she and the rest of her family are still waiting on results from the toxicology report. In the meantime, Cox plans to visit the site of Redell’s death in hopes of getting answers.

“I plan to go on a kayak to go see where my mom was at,” said Cox. “I just need to know where she was at.”

McDonald Funeral Home in Rock Falls is assisting with arrangements for Redell, which will take place Monday, June 15. Visitation will be 9 to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service. Redell will be buried in Fairhaven Cemetery, between Chadwick and Morrison, next to her two children.

Redell’s obituary can be viewed here.