19-Year-Old Pregnant Woman Found Dead With Stab Wounds In Lake Michigan

Officials in Illinois have identified a 19-year-old woman who was found dead earlier this month in Lake Michigan with knife wounds on her body.

The woman, earlier referred to as "Lake Michigan Jane Doe," has now been identified by the Lake County Sheriff's Office as Yarianna G. Wheeler, ABC 7 reported. At the time of her murder, Wheeler had been living in Chicago but she is originally from Bellwood, the outlet reported.

Wheeler's body was pulled from Lake Michigan, approximately three miles south of Waukegan Harbor, on Aug. 15 after a fisherman alerted the Coast Guard. Authorities determined the woman had been in the water for no more than 12 days, WGN-TV reported.

Police released a surveillance photo of Wheeler's body that detectives said was used to point them in the right direction, according to ABC 7. "When they saw the image, they knew they were on the right track. From there, they were able to obtain dental records which led to her ultimately being identified," the outlet quoted Lt. Christopher Covelli of Lake County Sheriff's Office, as saying.

Covelli said the photograph was taken on her last day of being alive. Police released a composite sketch of the victim. The case is being investigated as a homicide after an autopsy revealed Wheeler suffered sharp force injuries to her body. The exact cause of the death is, however, is yet to be released.

Cops have urged anyone with information regarding the killing to reach out to the Lake County Sheriff's office.

In June, A New Orleans teenager was arrested for killing his pregnant girlfriend after a heated exchange of words. The suspect, identified as Alvin Severin, 19, slashed the throat of his girlfriend, 18, before fatally striking her with a hammer. Following this, Severin carried her body to the backyard of his home and abandoned it there. The accused confessed to the crime, saying that he blacked out during the fight and gained consciousness when his grandmother came to his house and spotted his girlfriend's body.