WCSO Press Releases

 The Will County Sheriff’s Office was notified yesterday morning, August 6^th, that an adult male, age 67, was missing from his home in the 210000 block of W. Empress Lane in Plainfield.

 Charles W. Sharp, Jr., left his home, without his cell phone, driving a light blue Honda CRV, 4-door, SUV bearing Illinois registration #TL1630.

Mr. Sharp’s wife reported that her husband left the house shortly after 6:30am while she was in another room of the house.  Mr. Sharp has been diagnosed with depression and had a 9am doctor’s appointment in Hinsdale.  He never arrived to that appointment.

Sharp is described as a male white, 5'6", 150 lbs. with grey hair and blue eyes. 

 As of today, there has been no activity on Mr. Sharp’s I-Pass transponder, nor any activity on his banking accounts or credit/debit cards.   

Anyone with any information is asked to call 911.   

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The Will County Sheriff's Office is announcing that the unidentified male has been found in the DesPlaines River, just south of the Ruby Street Bridge in Joliet.    This morning, the Sheriff's Office met with fire personnel from Joliet, Wilmington, Plainfield, and Romeoville in order to organize a more comprehensive search of a body after the discovery of a human leg yesterday.   Three teams of boats began their visual and sonar search of the DesPlaines River waterways around 11:30am today.   Joliet Fire Department located the body a short time after they began their search. 

The Will County Coroner's Office was called to the scene and took possession of the body.  It has been determined that the body appears to be related to the discovery of the human leg that was found yesterday at the Lockport Locks.  The Coroner's Office has announced that an autopsy will be held tomorrow, April 14th.  Positive identification of the individual is pending at this time and notification to the next of kin.  The final cause of death will be determined, by the Coroner, at a later date pending the autopsy, toxicology, and a thorough police investigation.   -end-

On 4/11/2018 at 10:13pm, Sheriff's deputies responded to the Lockport Locks, 2502 Channel Road in Lockport (DesPlaines River) for a found body part.  Locks personnel advised that while assisting a ship through the lock they were notified by a deck hand that he observed what appeared to be a leg floating in the water.   The Will County Coroner's Office was contacted and took possession of the unidentified remains. A canvass of other remains in the surrounding water was conducted and met with negative results.  Lab testing is being completed by the Coroner's Office at this time.

Yesterday, April 12th, the Will County Sheriff's Office SWAT boat conducted a side-scan sonar grid search of the north and south ends of the Lockport Locks.  No further remains were discovered.

This morning, the Will County Sheriff's Office and Fire Department personnel from Joliet, Romeoville, Plainfield, and Wilmington have met and created a more comprehensive search for the remains.  The search will take place this afternoon  (weather permitting) with three teams of boats doing a visual and sonar search of the DesPlaines River and surrounding waterways. 

The Sheriff's Office is confirming that the unidentified body part is that of a white male. Until lab results are completed and further information is collected the Sheriff's Office is not speculating on the identity of the remains. 

Updates of this investigation will be shared when appropriate.    -end- 

The Will County Sheriff's Office is announcing that Mr. Wayne Gallinger of New Lenox has been found.  Boone County police contacted the Sheriff's office to inform them that they had located Gallinger in Boone County jurisdiction.  Gallinger was found safe and unharmed.  Arrangements are now being made to reunite him with his family.

Mr. Gallinger was reported missing by his family after he left his residence yesterday around 10 a.m. in his vehicle and had not been seen since. 

Thank you to all citizens and law enforcement who were on the look out for Mr. Gallinger.  We are all pleased to know that he was found safe and sound.    -end-   

The Will County Sheriff's Office is asking help from the public for their search of 83 year old, Wayne A. Gallinger, of New Lenox.  Mr. Gallinger was last seen yesterday, March 18th, at his residence around 10 a.m.  Gallinger left the residence in his silver, 2014 Nissan Maxima bearing Illinois plate number AK83364.  He was last seen wearing a black and blue plain shirt, blue jeans, and a tan in color, light weight winter jacket.  Gallinger wears a gold wedding band and carrys a wallet with identification inside.  Gallinger is originally from the Minooka area. 

Mr. Gallinger has the beginning stages of Alzheimer's and sometimes gets confused while driving.  He normally meets a group of friends every morning at McDonald's but did not show up this morning.  His family has contacted all of his friends and they have not been able to locate him.  All area hospitals have been contacted.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Wayne Gallinger, please call 911. 

Please share this information with your social media friends and family members.   -end-

On 11/14/2017, at approximately 2:45 PM, the Joliet Police Department took a missing person’s report for Kaitlyn M. Kearns.  Kaitlyn was reported being missing by her father.  It was reported to the Joliet Police Department that she was last seen tending bar at Woody’s Bar located at 1005 E. Washington Street in Joliet at approximately 12:30 AM on 11/13/2017.  She was driving a dark colored 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Illinois license plate ZX33462.  Kaitlyn was entered in the Law Enforcement Agencies Database as missing as well as her vehicle.    

On 11/15/2017, the Joliet Police Department met with Will County Sheriff’s Office Detectives in reference to Kaitlyn Kearns being reported as missing.  The missing person’s case was then handed over to the Will County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.  It has been reported to Will County Sheriff’s Detectives that Kaitlyn was last seen on 11/13/2017 at approximately 1:30 AM.  She was last seen traveling Eastbound on Washington Street in her vehicle. 

Kaitlyn is described as a twenty-four (24) year old, White, Female that is 4’11”, weighing approximately 100 pounds.  She has long brown hair, and was last seen wearing a pink White Sox hoodie with blue jeans.  She has a tattoo on her left forearm with the word “Warrior” inscribed that is red and black in color, as well as a tattoo of a cross on her neck.

Detectives with the Will County Sheriff’s Office are currently conducting interviews in regards to this case, and as information develops the Will County Sheriff’s Office will provide updates.   

If anyone has any information pertaining to disappearance of Kaitlyn, the Will County Sheriff’s Office is urging the public to contact detectives at 815-727-8574 or the Will County Dispatch Center at 815-727-8575.