Southwind Park was closed to the public on Thursday afternoon after a dead body was discovered inside a vehicle in the parking lot.
At 3:33 PM on Thursday, May 15, a 911 call prompted a nearby Illinois State Police trooper to respond to the scene, where an individual was found unresponsive in a parked car. Shortly thereafter, emergency medical teams arrived, followed by a number of nearby police departments; including the Springfield Park District Police Department, the Springfield Police Department, Southern View Police Department, the Jerome Police Department, and the University of Illinois Springfield Police Department.
The passenger of the vehicle, identified by Springfield Park District Police Chief Patrick Murphy as an adult male resident of Springfield, was confirmed dead at the scene. The death remains under investigation, but law enforcement reportedly does not suspect the incident to be related to a crime.
An autopsy by the Sangamon County Coroner’s Office is scheduled for 10:00 AM Friday morning. Upon its completion, the identity of the deceased will be released by the coroner.
