SPRINGFIELD, IL – Investigators in Springfield have identified skeletal remains as belonging to Michelle Renee “Shelly” Bianco, a woman who went missing in 2008. The confirmation came from Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon after a post-mortem examination involving a forensic pathologist and an anthropologist.
The specifics surrounding Bianco’s death are yet to be established, with Allmon revealing on Tuesday that the official cause and manner of death are still under investigation. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell indicated that the case is now being treated as a death investigation, with potential links to Bianco being probed extensively.
Bianco’s skeletal remains were discovered at a Springfield house on Monday. Police were initially alerted to the location on Sunday due to the discovery of “personal items” in a crawl space within the house. These items, which included a purse containing documents bearing Bianco’s name, led to the uncovering of the remains.
She was last reported seen on April 5, 2008, in Springfield. According to police, Bianco and her cousin were walking when a man in a black Pontiac offered her a ride home. Bianco’s cousin informed authorities that the man addressed Bianco by her name.
After Bianco’s disappearance, a missing person report was filed three days later. If alive, Bianco would be 59 years old.