2 charged with concealing death of woman found along Kankakee River

Two men have been charged with concealing the death of a 24-year-old Chicago woman whose body was discovered last month along the shore of the Kankakee River in far southwest suburban Wilmington.

Jonathan “Jon Jon” Rodriguez, 29, of Blue Island, and Esteban “Steve” Rodriguez, 27, of Wilmington each face felony charges of concealment of a death and intimidation, according to Illinois State Police.

Officers responded about 11:20 a.m. on July 8 after a homeowner found the body of 24-year-old Martha E. Sanchez near the rear of the residence in the area of the 29000 block of South Readman Lane in Wilmington, authorities said.

Sanchez was pronounced dead at the shoreline of the Kankakee River at 2:45 p.m. that day, according to police and the Will County coroner’s office.

Sanchez, also known as “Tica,” had been missing since July 4 from the 5100 block of West Fletcher in the Portage Park neighborhood, according to a missing person alert released in late July by Chicago Police.

Sanchez was identified Tuesday through dental record comparison, according to the coroner’s office. An autopsy did not reveal a conclusive cause of death. Toxicology reports are pending.

Bail was set at $1 million each for Jonathan Rodriguez and Esteban Rodriguez, records show.

The death investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the ISP tip line at (815) 726-6377, ext. 2. Callers can remain anonymous.