The body found Sunday in the Des Plaines River in Buffalo Grove has been officially identified as the Deerfield man that went missing, the Lake County Coroner’s Office said.
Raj Rawal, 50, of the 300 block of Inverrary Lane in unincorporated Deerfield, was reported missing by his family on Saturday, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that a body had been located in the Des Plaines River Sunday evening around 6:30 p.m. and the missing persons alert for Rawal had been cancelled.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper identified the body as Rawal on Monday during an autopsy. A preliminary autopsy showed the man drowned in the river and toxicology results are pending, Cooper said.
Rawal’s family told police that he had recently been showing signs of depression and that he left behind his wallet and keys when he left the residence.
Shortly after Rawal went missing, police used canines, a drone, a helicopter, and boats to search for him.
Sheriff’s deputies and detectives had located Rawal’s bicycle and cellphone on Saturday along the shoreline of the Des Plaines River Tail near Lake Cook Road and Milwaukee Avenue in unincorporated Buffalo Grove before finding his body the next day.
“We have been in close contact with Mr. Rawal’s family and our deepest condolences go out to them during this difficult time,” Cooper said.
The investigation into Rawal’s death continues by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.