Illinois State Police Seek Information in 2018 Unsolved Death of Tyler Smith

Illinois State Police are renewing their call for answers in the 2018 death of 23-year-old Tyler Smith of Rochelle. Smith was found in Cedar Fork Creek in Galesburg on September 15th, after spending the night with friends before his final National Guard drill weekend in Macomb.

Illinois State Police say the investigation into Tyler Smith’s death remains open, years after his 2018 autopsy in Peoria County found drowning as the cause. Galesburg Police handled the initial investigation before asking ISP to take over. On July 15th, 2020, Smith’s body was exhumed, and a second autopsy was performed at the McLean County Coroner’s Office in Bloomington. Since then, investigators say they’ve pursued numerous leads, conducted new interviews, and served additional search warrants. Despite those efforts, the exact circumstances surrounding Smith’s death remain undetermined.

Police believe key events began around 11:43 PM on September 14th near North West Street and Cedar Fork Creek.

Smith had attended school in Macomb and was preparing to pursue what family and friends described as his dream job: becoming a police officer in San Jose, California.

Anyone with direct knowledge is urged to call ISP Sergeant Luke Kuehl at 815-632-4010, extension 230, or submit a tip on the ISP website.

You can follow the “Justice for Tyler“ Facebook page created by Tyler’s mother for updates.