A Dialogue with Jelani Day’s mother, four years after his disappearance
Carmen Bolden-Day discusses her son Jelani's legacy four years after he suddenly vanished and was later found dead. Jose Zepada/Illinois Public Media
Note: This segment of "Dialogue" features content from an episode of "The 21st Show," which originally aired on August 19, 2025.
Jelani Day, a Danville native who was studying speech pathology at Illinois State University, disappeared on August 24, 2021. He was last seen at a store in Bloomington, and two days later, his car was found in the woods near Peru, Illinois.
Eleven days after his disappearance, Jelani's remains were recovered from the Illinois River. The circumstances are still unknown.
His mother spoke with “The 21st Show” host Brian Mackey.
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GUEST:
Carmen Bolden-Day
- Mother of Jelani Day
