COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – Late Wednesday morning, police in Collinsville were summoned to an area off Route 159 for a man found dead in a ditch.
The call came in just before 10:45 a.m. Collinsville police found the body in the 500 block of Loop Street.
The man, identified as Tyrese Owens, had suffered a serious laceration to his torso and was later pronounced dead by the Madison County Coroner’s Office. Owens was 21.
Police said Owens lived in an apartment on the street.
Collinsville police requested the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis to lead the investigation. Approximately 20 investigators have been assigned to the case and are following up on numerous leads.
Several of Owens’ family members were outside his apartment Wednesday afternoon, waiting for any word from police about potential breaks in the investigation. They were visibly shaken and asked for privacy.
Sandra Callahan lives nearby and offered support for the grieving family.
“If they need anything, we are here to help them out,” she said.
Callahan has lived in the neighborhood since 1992 and described the area as one where you would not expect a murder investigation to take place. She prayed with nearby residents for an end to violence.
“We need to come together as a community,” Callahan said. “We need to do better.”
Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to call the Major Case Squad at 618-344-2131 (x5300).
