Garfield Park reopens after search for toddler's remains ends

CHICAGO (STMW) - Garfield Park resumed normal operations Monday after Chicago Police completed a weeklong grid search of the lagoon for more remains in the case of a dismembered toddler found there last weekend.

No additional body parts have been found since authorities recovered the child’s head, feet and hands there over Labor Day weekend, but they did collect “various items which will be examined to determine if they are part of the investigation,” police announced Sunday afternoon.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Friday that investigators had expanded their search to areas of Douglas Park, Humboldt Park, Columbus Park and an area near the Bishop Ford and the access point of the Cal-Sag Channel, a police source said.

“Right now, those are the two areas that are being scrutinized in furtherance of this investigation. That’s not to say that there’s anything there, but just due diligence in furtherance of our investigation,” said News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala.

Police on Thursday had released a composite sketch of what the child could have looked like.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, in releasing the sketch, vowed to solve the case and appealed again to the public for help in identifying the child.

Investigators are looking in to missing children cases across the country in connection with the Garfield Park findings, including cases in Arkansas and Indiana that have risen to the forefront.