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NewsWednesday, June 11, 2008 5:58 PM CDT
Missing woman's death investigated; foul play suspected
Husband taken in for questioning, no suspect in custody
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MACKINAW -- Authorities suspect foul play in the death of 30-year-old MeLisa Cleary, a rural Mackinaw woman whose body was found Monday in Logan County after she went missing over the weekend.

The body, which had obvious signs of trauma, was identified Tuesday as Cleary, who had been missing since Friday night. Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stu Umholtz said officials suspect foul play.

MeLisa Cleary



Cleary’s husband, Daniel, 34, and the three Cleary children were found about 3 a.m. Tuesday at a Peoria motel not long after an Amber Alert was issued, Tazewell County sheriff’s police said. Daniel Cleary was taken in for questioning, but police declined to say why.

No suspect was in custody as of Tuesday, Umholtz said.

Tazewell County Sheriff Bob Huston said the children are staying with an aunt.

MeLisa Cleary operated a home-based day care center in the Heritage Lake area of rural Mackinaw. She was last seen Friday at her home.

Her vehicle was found by family members over the weekend less than two miles from her residence.

Her body was found Monday by Canadian National railroad workers in a rural area near Hartsburg in Logan County, authorities said.

A preliminary cause of death has been identified, but police have asked Logan County Coroner Bob Thomas not to release that information pending the criminal investigation, Thomas said Wednesday morning.

Thomas also declined to elaborate on what signs of trauma were apparent on MeLisa Cleary’s body, only saying family helped identify her body during an autopsy Tuesday in Peoria. Authorities are still trying to determine the time of death, he said, declining to comment on the possible location of death.

Search for woman, family

An Amber Alert was posted early Tuesday on the Web site of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It said police were looking for Daniel Cleary and the couple’s three children: Chloe Renee Cleary, 3; Jacob Thomas Cleary, 8; and Kaitlin Elizabeth Roten, 12, who sometimes goes by the last name of Cleary.

Before that, Mackinaw Police Chief Gary Hartzell said Cleary relatives were at a well-traveled intersection in Mackinaw on Monday afternoon, passing out fliers. He said they were organizing a search, and some people already had informally gone out to look.

“It’s just a sad deal, to say the least,” said Hartzell. “It’s a shock to the system.” The chief called Tazewell County sheriff’s police to rein in the volunteer search because he was concerned searchers might disturb evidence.

“What are the odds of this happening in a small town?” But he added anything can happen anywhere.

After Hartzell called Tazewell authorities and learned of the body found in Logan County, the search was suspended in the Mackinaw area.

The Cleary house remained cordoned off with police tape on Tuesday.

Daniel Cleary did not respond to a request for an interview on Monday and family members said they were told by police not to talk to reporters.

Around the neighborhood

A neighbor, Betty Christian, said Tuesday the Clearys were a typical family, and she never had any indication there were problems in the home. She lives next door to the Cleary home, baby sitting her grandchildren at the home of her daughter and son-in-law.

Christian said she “never heard a loud noise over there, never heard him raise his voice to the children,” adding she has been baby sitting for six years. The Clearys moved in about three years ago, she said.

Neighborhood children, including Christian’s grandchildren, often played with the Cleary children. But Christian said she didn’t know the couple.

The grandmother said she had to explain to her grandchildren Tuesday that their friend, young Jake Cleary, probably won’t be back.

“My heart aches for the kids,” Christian said. “And my kids don’t understand. It’ll probably take them a couple of years to understand what happened.”

Christian said she grew up in Peoria and expected violence there.

“Never thought I would see this in Mackinaw,” she said.

The Tazewell County sheriff is asking anyone who saw something suspicious along Illinois 9 around Mackinaw on Friday evening or along Interstate 155 around Hopedale to call the Tazewell County sheriff’s police. The number is (309) 346-4141.

Sharon Wolfe, Roger Miller, Kevin Barlow, Ryan Denham, Greg Cima and WEEK-TV contributed to this story.

Take a look
Crime-scene tape surrounds the Heritage Lake home of MeLisa D. Cleary at Wilshire Wood Drive and Westminster in the subdivision east of Mackinaw. (The Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)
An Illinois State Police Trooper sits in a cruiser outside the Heritage Lake home of MeLisa D. Cleary on Tuesday. Crime-scene tape surrounds the home. (The Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)
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Reader comments on this story - 13 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

ABUSED IN MACKINAW wrote on Jun 15, 2008 9:23 AM:

" Well, This will probably to cause a lot a heat for me but I speak the truth. So here goes. First of all I'm sorry for the family's lost that being said why is it that there is so much out pouring of love and people saying that they new there was problems and that they are surprised this happened.
If they were so concerned why did they not get involved before she was dead? Because this is what Mackinaw people do, they turn their heads the other way knowing what's going on, its not my place to get involved. Well, guess what? it is your place to get involved. As a community you need to speak out before some tragedy happens like this. But you wont. You see me and my sisters grew up their and they all turned their backs on us knowing the physical and sexual abuse happening to us. They knew because we tried to tell people but their was no one with the courage to help us. So yes I squarely place the blame on the people of Mackinaw. Its time Mackinaw open their eyes and get the courage to help before another tragedy "

jipsi wrote on Jun 13, 2008 2:54 PM:

" For whoever is still following this story: TONIGHT, Friday, June 13th, NANCY GRACE on CNN will be investigating and discussing this case... just saw it advertised. "

poster wrote on Jun 11, 2008 7:59 PM:

" to whatdayaknow: I think that Reva was saying that Divorce is always an option instead of killing your wife. Not that the wife shouold have divorced him. Lacy Petersons mom is the one that said that and Lacy had no indication that she was about to be killed by her husband. "

BackfromGAafteryrsSameB-N wrote on Jun 11, 2008 2:19 PM:

" g moen: I am confused about your comment. How does keeping with your own kind make sense when you are in fear? This woman feared her own kind, right? Her husband is the one she feared. Were they from two different cultures? I am not sure because I did not know either of them. Also, if you keep to yourself and your own kind out of fear, doesn't that just breed more fear, since EVERYONE else becomes the enemy that is feared? I'm just having trouble following your logic. I guess you also disagree with the quote, "keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer." Just because people are from the same culture as you does not mean they are good and people from outher cultures are bad. Criminals and deviants come in all sizes, shapes, colors, ethnicities, religions, genders, etc. So do good people. Embrace diversity and learn how similar people of different cultures can be. After all, aren't we all from one race? I am from the human race. What about you? "

whaddayaknow wrote on Jun 11, 2008 12:25 PM:

" If it is a case of domestic violence and then homicide and she was fearing for her life, in those cases, the most dangerous time is when a person is leaving or has left the relationship. "Divorce is always an option" does not work -- the person who is abusive and controlling feels out of control and sometimes has the "if I can't have you, no one can" mentality and may kill the partner, the children and themselves. It is very serious when a person leaves a relationship like this. I am not saying this is the case (because we don't know yet) but I wanted to address Zeva's comments and also make sure people understand why people don't "just leave" these kinds of relationships lightly. It can be deadly. "

BackfromGAafter5yrsSameB-N wrote on Jun 11, 2008 11:32 AM:

" g moen: I am confused about your comment. How does keeping with your own kind make sense when you are in fear? This woman feared her own kind, right? Her husband is the one she feared. Were they from two different cultures? I am not sure because I did not know either of them. Also, if you keep to yourself and your own kind out of fear, doesn't that just breed more fear, since EVERYONE else becomes the enemy that is feared? I'm just having trouble following your logic. I guess you also disagree with the quote, "keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer." Just because people are from the same culture as you does not mean they are good and people from outher cultures are bad. Criminals and deviants come in all sizes, shapes, colors, ethnicities, religions, genders, etc. So do good people. Embrace diversity and learn how similar people of different cultures can be. After all, aren't we all from one race? I am from the human race. What about you? "

g moen wrote on Jun 11, 2008 6:29 AM:

" you cannot trust anyone anymore. so much violent crimes and homicides. now i know why some people in some cultures in America keep to themselves & their own kind...it is FEAR! "

what r u talking about willis? wrote on Jun 10, 2008 3:11 PM:

" why does it say it was updated at 3 when nothing is new on the story?!?!?!? that really irritates me pantagraph... "

michelle24 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 1:49 PM:

" :( Thoughts and prayers for the family. "

Bookerc1 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 12:18 PM:

" This is so sad! Her son was in my son's class last year. I feel so bad for her family, and the families that she dealt with in her day care business, too. Kids develop such a strong bond with their caregivers! We will be praying for the family. "

MISSterious wrote on Jun 10, 2008 11:44 AM:

" Zeva, you are so right. However, I read in an article in the Journal Star that they were actually separated, and she was afraid of her husband. She was staying at their home during the week to run the daycare, and spent the weekends at her friend's house because she was afraid her husband would try to hurt her and the children at their home. The day before she disappeared, she stayed with her friend on Thursday - the day before she went missing - because she was more afraid than usual apparently. The next morning she went to her house only to open up the daycare and told her friend she would be back no later than 5:30 that night. She never showed up. Very sad. She appeared to be a very lovely woman and great mother, from what I've heard. "

Zeva wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:32 AM:

" First of all my prayers go out to the family, this is so sad and she was a beautiful woman. Those children will now grow up without a mommy. I don't understand why anyone would want to harm anyone, especially a mom. IF it was her husband, taking the words from Lacy Peterson's mom, "Divorce is always an option." "

melbrent2001 wrote on Jun 10, 2008 6:23 AM:

" My prayers go out to the family and friends of MeLisa "

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