ROCHELLE, Ill. — A family is continuing their fight for answers surrounding the death of a Western Illinois University graduate.
Sept. 15 marks five years since the death of Army national guardsman Tyler Smith, 23.
He was found dead in Galesburg back in 2018 after his body was lying in a drainage ditch.
Tyler's parents, Sandy Halsne and Keith Smith, have been pushing for justice and trying to piece together how their only child died.
The 5th annual Tyler "Smitty" Smith 5K and fundraiser will be held Sunday, Sept. 17, in Tyler's hometown of Rochelle.
"This is for us to recognize Tyler and to remember Tyler," Halsne said. "It just means that we are able to give back in his name and do something positive after such a tragic death he had. It helps our family, because we have not had any closure."
Money raised during the activities will be given back to the community through scholarships, military/police-related functions and schools.
For more details on when, where and how to sign up, click here. The deadline to purchase with a t-shirt is Sept. 1. However, the sign-up portion is also allowed the day of the race.
For the most recent information on the investigation surrounding the case, click here. Illinois State Police has an active ongoing investigation surrounding the case. A reward fund is at around $100,000 for any leads that solves the case. Anyone with any information on the case is asked to contact Illinois State Police Special Agent Luke Kuehl at 815-632-4010.
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