Missing Illiniois woman Tashyra McDowell's body found wedged in combine

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Tashyra McDowell

/ Peoria County Sheriff's Department

(CBS/AP) PEORIA, Ill. - The missing person case of Tashyra McDowell has turned into a homicide investigation after police on Tuesday found the dead body of the 24-year-old Peoria woman stuck in a farmer's combine in a cornfield.

According to the Journal Star of Peoria, an autopsy on Wednesday found McDowell died of multiple gunshot wounds before being wedged into the farm equipment.

McDowell was the mother of a 7-year-old autistic boy who was found unattended Monday morning in the Illinois city, the newspaper reports. Later that day McDowell's car was found abandoned. Her mother, Twila Rutherford, says she last had contact with her daughter on Friday.

McDowell's son is now with Rutherford, who says the boy was her daughter's "pride and joy."

The Peoria County coroner pronounced McDowell dead Tuesday afternoon. It took authorities about two hours to disassemble the eight-row corn picker to remove her body.

McDowell's ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Stephen Turner, was allegedly one of the last people to see her alive, and was placed in police custody Monday on weapons charges, the Journal Star reports. He was released on Wednesday.

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by lifeduringwartime September 16, 2012 11:07 PM EDT: Glad I was not on the crew that had to extract her from the combine, someone had a lot of hate to do something this cold. Ex boyfriend will be the first looked at. These machines are tough but most have "slip clutch" mechanisms made so a rocks will not go through and wreck everything, I am sure a body would be more than enough to engage it. Too bad for the family.; Reply to this comment

by byrdh5n1 September 15, 2012 9:46 AM EDT

24 - 7 = 17. Just sayin'................

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by angelofurnightmare September 15, 2012 10:39 AM EDT: really? Who cares how old she was when the kid was born. I women of 30 who are worse parents than some who were 17 when they had a baby


by byrdh5n1 September 15, 2012 11:26 AM EDT: There are always exceptions.... Are you aware (sorry... cruel question...) of the percentages of good parentage and successful offspring for single teenage births - as measured by education levels attained (parent and/or child), IQs, "happiness" indices, next-generation family sustainance, average income, even general health? "I women?" Go back to school....


by krj9 September 15, 2012 1:05 PM EDT: Just saying what? That you can subtract? People like you shouldn't be allowed to post


by notredamegirl77 September 16, 2012 12:13 AM EDT: What the heck does that have to do with her murder!!!! So stupid!!!! This poor girl was found stuck in a farm machine a shot!!! Very mean!!!


by notredamegirl77 September 16, 2012 12:15 AM EDT: What the heck does that have to do with her murder!!!! So stupid!!!! This poor girl was found stuck in a farm machine and shot!!! Very mean!!! How the heck is your life retard??? Your mother needs to reteach you to keep your idiotic mouth closed!!!


by byrdh5n1 September 16, 2012 1:07 PM EDT: "Have to do with?""Justify?" Nothing justifies the manner in which Tashyra died. But. The combination of her age, single parenthood, and lifestyle undeniably offer at least a predictor of the higher risk of her early demise. Those of you who are tut-tutting from your soapboxes.... get down and work to alleviate the circumstances that lead to such endings.....