CAHOKIA, Ill. — On May 13, 2019, a man walking near a creek in 100 block of Jerome smelled something foul. Cahokia Police Detective Dennis Plew said the man looked down and saw a body floating in a creek. Plew said the body was Ira Dickerson the Third, a 37-year-old who stayed at the apartment complex right next to the creek.
According to police, Dickerson attended a big Cinco De Mayo party at that apartment complex. Now police are wondering what happened in the eight days in between the party and when his body was found.
The coroner found that the cause of death was drowning. Another big question for police is was this an accident or a murder.
Plew said Dickerson was about 6’ 5” with an athletic build and known to get in fights. Detectives talked with people who Dickerson recently fought with. They admitted to a fight but said they didn’t kill him.
Plew said they also explored the theory that Dickerson was intoxicated and stumbled into the creek. That doesn’t make much sense either. Dickerson was found naked from the waist down and the weeds by the creek were very high.
Dickerson’s mother Cynthia said her son could be headstrong, but he was also very thoughtful. Cynthia believes her son’s death wasn’t an accident.
Crimestoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward for a tip leading to an arrest. All tips are anonymous. You can email or call Crimestoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS.
