U Of I Student's Body Identified; Sheriff Says It's Murder
(CBS) – A body found over the weekend near the University of Illinois's downstate campus is that of a Chicago man who disappeared last week, and a police official calls it murder.
Vicente Mundo, 20, was last seen Jan. 25 at a friend's apartment, his family has said. The U of I junior, who lately had resided in Champaign, was the subject of a search by family members and police last week.
Someone came across a body early Saturday in rural Champaign County. On Monday, Sheriff Dan Walsh confirmed the remains were those of Mundo. No cause of death was released, but Walsh characterized his death as a murder.
On Monday, more than 200 friends and relatives met at Chicago's St. Gall Church to share memories. Friends and loved ones gathered for a vigil in Champaign as well, CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports.
Authorities are asking for the public's help in gathering more information about the circumstances leading up to Mundo's disappearance.
Police say they are looking for Mundo's car, a silver 2006 Acura TL with black rims and dark tinted windows bearing Illinois License plate 2557 B over D (a Chicago Bears specialty plate).
Tips can be called in to (217) 384-1213. Anonymous information can be given to Crime Stoppers at (217) 373-8477 (TIPS) or by 373TIPS.com.
Walsh, in a prepared statement, says there does not appear to be any connection between Mundo's murder and the recent disappearance of a former student, Christian Zamora.
Zamora, 23, was last seen by friends on New Year's Eve, walking toward a neighborhood grocery store, WCIA-TV reports. Investigators continue looking into his disappearance.
