Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office provides resources to families with missing loved ones – NBC Chicago

A number of people who have long been searching for missing loved ones stopped by the Cook County medical examiner’s office Saturday afternoon.

“You wonder where she is,” said Belen Rivera, whose daughter has not been seen since 2020. “She is no longer in this world, but I want to put her to rest.”

Rivera told NBC Chicago that her daughter, Angelisa Rivera-Ruiz, was 24 when she was last seen at Walmart in suburban Zion.

“Her last sequence, she left the Walmart. She must have had depression because of the stress from COVID,” the mother explained. “She ran around the local woods without a coat, and it was November.”

Rivera said investigators searched the woods but found no sign of her daughter. Given the weather at the time, she doesn’t believe her daughter is still alive.

“In my heart I know she’s probably in heaven,” she said. “She believed in God, so I have faith that she is with God.”

Rivera’s pain was felt as she and others sought help from police, county officials and local agencies. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office held its fourth “Missing Persons Day” to connect families with resources to help them in their search.

“It can be very intimidating for families who are in a lot of pain,” said Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkumar. “But if they come here, they can do all the procedures; we have staff to guide them through all the necessary steps.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police, were on scene. Families were able to file reports as well as submit medical records, photos and even DNA samples.

“This is a service that the community needs, and we are very grateful to be able to bring all of these agencies together on this day to help families,” Arunkumar said.

Pete Farfan submitted his brother’s information and registered with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System to see if a match could be made.

His brother, Romeo Farfan, was last seen Feb. 29 in the 800 block of North Francisco Avenue in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. Pete Farfan feared a man found dead Tuesday in North Avenue Beach was his brother.

“No identification has yet been provided. Well, who is he? We need to know,” he said. “Fifty-fifty the description of this individual matches the one I’m looking for; now maybe it’s not that person or maybe it is, but i…need to know to move forward from now on.

As he and other families waited for answers, they knew they were not alone in this search.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office said two people have been identified following this year’s event.