The Kane County Coroner identified the body as 32-year-old Shafia Murad after a search near the Chicago Premium Outlets.
AURORA, IL — A woman found dead in a retention pond near the Chicago Premium Outlets has been identified as 32-year-old Shafia Murad, who was reported missing after she was last seen near the mall May 28, authorities said.
The identification confirmed the end of a dayslong search that began when Murad disappeared from the outlet mall area on Aurora’s east side. Police said investigators followed leads and reviewed surveillance video before focusing on the area near North Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard, less than a mile from the mall. The Kane County Coroner’s Office identified Murad on Wednesday, and police said the investigation remained active.
Murad was last seen around 1:30 p.m. May 28 in the area of the Chicago Premium Outlets. Police later said surveillance showed her boarding a Pace bus at the mall at about 1:29 p.m. and getting off near North Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard at about 1:53 p.m. She was seen walking north after leaving the bus. Her family reported her missing later that day, and officers first searched the mall and the surrounding area before expanding the search.
Investigators returned to the Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard area after reviewing video and other leads. Around 7:35 p.m. Monday, police said investigators conducting follow-up work saw an object in a retention pond east of North Farnsworth Avenue. Aurora police drone operators were called to check the water and confirmed that a deceased person was in the pond. The Aurora Fire Department helped recover the body, and the coroner’s office took over the death investigation.
The coroner’s office identified the body as Murad on Wednesday. An autopsy found that she died from drowning, according to police reports, while toxicology testing was still pending. Authorities had not announced a final manner of death, and police said they were still investigating how Murad ended up in the pond. No arrests or charges had been announced as of Thursday. Officials have not said whether they believe another person was involved.
Murad’s family had described her as a vulnerable adult who needed medication and could appear confused or disoriented. Relatives said she left without basic items, including identification and a wallet. Her sister, Sofia Murad, told local reporters before the identification that the family did not know where she was and that the search had become “a living nightmare.” Family members later confirmed Murad had died.
The search centered on one of Aurora’s busiest retail areas, where the Chicago Premium Outlets draw shoppers from across the western suburbs and beyond. Police said Murad may have been trying to travel to Chicago after leaving the mall area. The pond where she was found sits near office and commercial properties around North Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard, a short distance from the outlet mall campus.
Police described Murad during the search as 5 feet tall and about 105 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a light green jacket, blue jeans and brown shoes, authorities said. Investigators used surveillance footage, search activity and drone support as the case shifted from a missing person search to a death investigation. The coroner’s office and Aurora police continued to review evidence after the autopsy.
The case remained open Thursday as investigators awaited toxicology results and continued examining the circumstances of Murad’s death. Police had not announced the next public update, and the coroner’s final findings had not been released.
Author note: Last updated June 4, 2026.