A man found dead of an apparent suicide in Illinois earlier this month is not the missing United Airlines executive last seen in Elmhurst in August.
CrimeOnline has obtained an incident report of an apparent suicide in St. Mary’s Park on September 7. Though we have chosen not to disclose the decedent’s identity, CrimeOnline can confirm it is not Jake Cefolia.
Cefolia, the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at United Airlines, was reported missing from his home in Elmhurst on August 8. Police records indicate Cefolia’s last confirmed sighting was on August 7 at a gas station in Elmhurst, though a neighbor told police he may have seen Cefolia pulling out of his driveway later the same day.
Cefolia’s Land Rover was found on August 8 in a parking lot adjacent to the Waterfall Glenn Preserve.
News reports about the discovery of a deceased male at St. Mary’s Park in Cook County, which is about 30 miles from where Cefolia’s abandoned car was found, prompted speculation about a possible connection to Cefolia’s disappearance. There is no indication that the man found dead on September 7 has any relationship to Cefolia or the missing persons investigation.
In August, Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth first confirmed to CrimeOnline that Cefolia is the subject of a criminal investigation that began prior to his disappearance. The 49-year-old has not been charged with any crimes, and authorities have not issued a warrant for his arrest. The Elmhurst Police Department has not commented publicly on the nature of the investigation, and the department has not responded to numerous requests for follow-up interviews.
CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.
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