Body Exhumed in Hopes of Solving 54-Year-Old Illinois Mystery

Body exhumed in hopes of solving 54-year-old mystery in Salem, Ill.

Body exhumed in hopes of solving 54-year-old mystery

SALEM, Ill. (KTVI) – A body was exhumed in Salem, Illinois, on Thursday in hopes of identifying the remains of a train wreck victim who died in 1971.  "It's one of those things you remember, like the Kennedy assassination or the Challenger. I remember exactly when that was," longtime Salem resident Jim Koehler said.  On June 10, 1971, an Amtrak train going from Chicago to New Orleans derailed just a few miles away from Salem. Eleven people died,…

Body exhumed in hopes of solving 54-year-old Illinois mystery

Trying to solve a mystery

Sentinel Photo/DENNIS ROSENBERGERGRAVE EXHUMED — Observers look on as the East Lawn Cemetery crew uses a backhoe to exhume the grave containing the remains from the 1971 Tonti train wreck. The exhumation is part of a project to try and identify the unknown individual, or individuals, who were killed in the train accident. Sentinel Photo/DENNIS ROSENBERGERLOTS OF INTEREST — A cameraman from Fox 2 News in St. Louis captures footage during the exhu…