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Two teens discovered an unidentified woman's body Sunday while canoeing near the county line between Kosciusko and Elkhart counties.
According to Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, the body was found in Turkey Creek, outside Syracuse, north of CR 1300N and a half-mile west of CR 300E. The sheriff's department received the call prior to 7 a.m.
After sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they covered the body and transported it to St. Joseph Medical Center, Fort Wayne, for an autopsy. Along with the sheriff's department, the state crime technician and the Syracuse Police Department were at the scene looking for evidence. They are expected to be there again today for further investigation.
Kosciusko County Coroner Larry Ladd said today they do not have too much information about the body yet and probably won't until the autopsy is completed.
"It was taken to Fort Wayne. It was in pretty advanced stages of decomposition," Ladd said. The unidentified body, he said, "appears to be a female."
Asked if foul play was suspected, Rovenstine said, "The body was decomposed. We're going to have to wait until the autopsy."
While the body has not officially been identified, when asked if the body might be that of Syracuse resident Jill Lorraine Phillips, who has been missing since April 1, Rovenstine said, "We're very interested in that. That's what we're looking at."
Phillips, 25, was reported missing April 10 after she failed to meet her boyfriend and did not return to her residence. Neighbors and relatives have not heard from her since April 1. She also failed to make several scheduled appointments and has not returned to work since April 1.
