No funeral for MeLisa Cleary

**NurseMommy1982** · July 11th, 2008, 12:55 AM

http://www.week.com/news/local/24407064.html
*I stumbled on your site when i googled MeLisa's name after she was killed. She was my cousin, now she is not even getting her last wishes granted. You see, my uncle(her dad) just passed away from lung cancer earlier this year. what boils my blood is that they released her body to Daniel(husband) and he's having her creamated with NO funeral services**

It's been more than a month since authorities discovered a missing Mackinaw woman's body in Logan County.
And while authorities are still investigating MeLisa Cleary's death...Family members are concerned about MeLisa's last wishes being fulfilled.

For the first time, MeLisa Cleary's family was able to view her lifeless body since it had been discovered near railroad tracks off of Interstate 1–55 in Logan County more than a month ago.

MeLisa's sister Felicia Ellis said, "My sister got a phone call stating that her body was going to be released to her husband and he wanted her cremated and we went, were offered the chance to see her and we did and it was very devastating."

Her sisters say Cleary wanted to be buried next to her father at Springdale Cemetery instead.

Sister Brandy Gerard said, "That he's not even gonna let his kids have closure on her death that's sickening, disgusting, that's how it make me feel."

MeLisa's children are now in the hands of one of her sister's.
Instead of MeLisa's husband Dan Cleary.

"They're a part of her and they need to be with us because we are who they were raised around" said Ellis.

Gerard said, "I was told that they took the kids because he was a flight risk since he left the house with the kids, that made him a flight risk."

The sisters agree that they're both upset that her husband is not giving MeLisa a funeral.

"I don't think it's fair because he's not having services for her and being that he's one of the only people like persons of interest I don't even understand how they could do that", said Ellis.

News 25 made several attempts to contact Dan Cleary but never received a call back.
MeLisa's family will hold a memorial service for her at the Argo Ruestman Funeral Home in Eureka on July 19th.

**w8ng4msrgt** · July 11th, 2008, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by NurseMommy1982

You see, my uncle(her dad) just passed away from lung cancer earlier this year. what boils my blood is that they released her body to him and he's having her creamated with NO funeral services**

Is he part of the walking dead? If he passed away earlier this year how was her body released to him?

Do I need to bring some silver bullets and crosses there?

**NurseMommy1982** · July 11th, 2008, 01:45 AM

I meant HIM as in the husband It's in the article...thanks for catching the mistake i fixed it

**RaVen Blackehart** · December 30th, 2008, 06:21 PM

MeLisa Cleary was 30 years old and a mother of three when her marriage started to fall apart.
MeLisa Cleary's body was found near railroad tracks more than 20 miles from her home.

MeLisa Cleary's body was found near railroad tracks more than 20 miles from her home.

She was in the process of separating from her husband, Daniel, when she was last seen on June 6, 2008.

Her body was found three days later near the railroad tracks in Hartsburg, Illinois, a town more than 20 miles away from Mackinaw, where the Clearys lived.

Police said her body showed significant signs of blunt force trauma, particularly to her head and neck. The Logan County Coroner ruled her death a homicide.

According to friends and family, Cleary had expressed fear for her life to both her sister Brandy Gerard and her close friend Nicole Simpson.

She had been sleeping on the couch at home during the week and spending weekends at Simpson's house. She was scraping by on money she made taking care of other people's children.

Cleary was due at Simpson's house by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 6, but never arrived. She had spent the previous night there as well to avoid another quarrel with her husband.

When Cleary didn't arrive, Simpson called her family. On the morning of June 7, police were called and Cleary was reported missing.

Within hours of reporting her missing, Cleary's family found her 2004 Ford Expedition abandoned less than two miles from her home. Her keys and her purse were left inside the car.

Cleary's body was discovered June 9 by Canadian National Railway workers. That same day, Daniel Cleary was seen leaving the couple's home with their three children. The car was loaded with packed luggage.

Police issued an Amber Alert for the children, calling it a possible parental abduction.

Cleary, his mother and the children were found June 10 at a motel in Peoria, Illinois. He was taken into custody, questioned and released. The children were placed in protective custody.

Dan Cleary's lawyer, Jerry Serritella, had no comment.

The investigation remains open, but police still have not announced any suspects in the case, nor have they made any arrests. They are continuing to work on it "nonstop," said Capt. Bob Henderson of the Tazewell County Sheriff's department.

"I've got guys working on it right now," Henderson said. "Actually, we're working on it through the Christmas holidays."

Because the case remains open and active, Henderson said he was reluctant to provide more than the basic details.

On November 15, family and friends celebrated what would have been MeLisa Cleary's 31st birthday, holding a candlelight vigil.

Her sister, Brandy Gerard, says she feels her sister's presence. "It's like she's saying to me, don't quit. Keep fighting for justice."

Cleary's family to this day insists that Cleary would never leave her children home alone, and she wouldn't go anywhere without telling someone she knew and trusted. Family members won't say more because they don't want to jeopardize the investigation.

The children, a girl, 12; a boy, 9; and another girl, 3, are in the custody of the state's Department of Children and Family Services, Henderson said. He would not discuss the situation in detail.

Cleary's mother, Jean Cohoon, says it's difficult when she visits with her grandchildren, "How can you answer a 3-year-old's questions about when her mommy and daddy are coming back," Cohoon says.

"If anybody has any pertinent information involving the disappearance and death of MeLisa, by all means give us a call," Henderson said.

The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office can be reached at 309-346-4141. The Logan County Sheriff's Office can be reached at 217-732-2156.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/30/...ary/index.html

**Tazzzz** · December 30th, 2008, 07:40 PM

R.I.P. MeLisa Cleary, I hope they catch your killer.

Geez, how hard is it to figure out the hubby did it???

Fri Sep 19, 2008, MeLisa Cleary’s death has officially been ruled a homicide. A jury of six made the decision after hearing testimony from deputy coroner Warren Rogers and Tazewell County investigator, Capt. Bobby Henderson. County Coroner Robert Thomas led the inquest.
Since Cleary’s body was found in Hartsburg, it was in the jurisdiction of the Logan County Coroner’s Office. Cleary, however, resided in Mackinaw, so the investigation is being handled by Tazewell County.

Cleary, 30, was found dead near Hartsburg on June 9, off of the 7.5-mile marker on Interstate 155. Rogers said the body was lying on a cement embankment where the Interstate crossses railroad tracks, immediately under the railing from above.

He also said the cause of death stemmed from blunt force trauma to the head and neck, while Henderson said this trauma was not caused by a fall from that location.

The Tazewell County investigator is currently waiting for entomology reports to determine how long Cleary was dead before her body ended up at that location; however, he said “it’s not possible the injuries were received from a jump (at the location of I-155).”

......Family and friends of Cleary, however, weren’t so quiet.
“He killed her,” said friend of the family Angelica Herseman, referring to Cleary’s husband, Daniel Cleary. “That’s what we suspect as a family … she was in the process of leaving him.”

Cleary’s sister Brandy Gerard echoed the same thoughts. Gerard said two weeks before she went missing, her sister told her “if he kills me, make sure my kids are taken care of.”Gerard was the person who called 9-1-1, as soon as she found out her sister didn’t show up at a friend’s house as planned.

...... said Cleary had reported to her in the past that her husband had been physically abusive. Henderson would not confirm if he heard reports of previous abuse.

Currently, Cleary’s kids are staying with family. Herseman said Cleary’s husband has tried, since Cleary’s death, to obtain custody, but the kids are still with the mother’s family.

Gerard said she believes he is currently residing in California.
“He won’t answer the phone, when I try to call,” said Gerard.
Family described Cleary as a jovial person who loved kids and was always happy.“She was sweet,” said Herseman. “She had a daycare in her home, and she loved to take care of people’s kids.
“She was fun, had a good sense of humor and was always laughing. She’d stick her tongue out and make other people laugh.”

http://www.lincolncourier.com/archiv...-HE-KILLED-HER

12-year-old Kaitlin Elizabeth Rote,
8-year-old Jacob Thomas Cleary
3-year-old Chloe Renee Cleary
30-year-old Melissa Cleary
34-year-old Daniel Keith Cleary

**Silvahalo** · December 30th, 2008, 09:11 PM

So very tragic. A young beautiful women, with children and family that loved her....I pray she will get justice and her death vindicated.

My deepest sympathies to the Cleary family and friends...NurseMommy1982, I'm so sorry for your loss.

**Jessiesgirl1108** · December 31st, 2008, 09:50 AM

I'm so sorry for the pain and anger your family must be experiencing....my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · June 3rd, 2009, 11:27 AM

Jean Cohoon never thought a year would pass without an arrest after her daughter was found dead June 9, 2008, on a railroad embankment.

A lot has happened since MeLisa Cleary, 30, was killed, including a custody fight over her three children, a foreclosure on her family’s Mackinaw home and an ongoing police investigation.

But there’s been no arrest.
[...]

Tazewell County Sheriff Bob Huston said last week that investigators have forwarded their reports to the state’s attorney’s office, where they are being reviewed for possible prosecution. State’s Attorney Stu Umholtz said it’s still under investigation.

A lawyer representing Cleary’s husband, Daniel Cleary, 35, said in December his client was considered the prime suspect in her death but maintained his innocence. The lawyer did not respond to requests for comment this week.

Meanwhile, the couple’s home in Heritage Lake, a private community near Mackinaw, sits empty amid overgrown grass. Foreclosure proceedings against Daniel Cleary began in October, court records show.

He has since moved to Normal and works for a heating and air conditioning firm.

MeLisa Cleary’s family says the couple’s children — ages 13, 10 and 4 — are in foster care and living in western Illinois.
[...]

DCFS said in December that Daniel Cleary was allowed supervised visits.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2...c714069750.txt

This is also Front Paged: http://www.dreamindemon.com/2008/06/...iel-cleary-do/

**McQuest** · June 3rd, 2009, 11:46 AM

"Cleary's body was discovered June 9 by Canadian National Railway workers. That same day, Daniel Cleary was seen leaving the couple's home with their three children. The car was loaded with packed luggage.

Police issued an Amber Alert for the children, calling it a possible parental abduction.

Cleary, his mother and the children were found June 10 at a motel in Peoria, Illinois. He was taken into custody, questioned and released. The children were placed in protective custody."

could it be any more fucking obvious. surely there had to be some evidence.
They should not allow a suspect to decide what happens tothe body, relative or not. If I were a suspect in a relatives death I would totally understand and waive that right. He probably knew something they missed and wanted to make sure they sould not look at it again later.

**Angelinfl** · June 3rd, 2009, 02:54 PM

Gosh this sounds like another Kathleen Savio. I am curently reading Empty Promises by Ann Rule and this could also describe some of the cases Ann Rule has written about.

I hope there is justice someday.

Kudos to her family to try to make a memorial for the children's sake. They had a mother who didn't walk away but should have walked away before in what could have been an abusive relationship.

How many people do you know that should not be in the relationships they are in and are in danger for themselves and their children? It's scary... and we wonder why all these woman are becoming homocide victims. Think of the damage to the children involved.

**backlash** · January 27th, 2010, 03:34 PM

There's no information about this case out there. It's been such a long time, and yet still no arrest. I wonder what the husband's alibi was?

**Jerri Blank** · January 27th, 2010, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by backlash

There's no information about this case out there. It's been such a long time, and yet still no arrest. I wonder what the husband's alibi was?

I'm glad you bumped this thread. I remember her, she seemed like such a lovely young woman, she deserves some justice.

I'm gonna go start digging, maybe someone out there can find some latest developments.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · April 17th, 2010, 06:39 PM

The husband of Mackinaw murder victim MeLisa Cleary has been arrested in connection with her death.

Daniel K. Cleary, 35, was arrested without incident at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday by investigators from the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department and the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to Tazewell County Sheriff Robert Huston.

http://www.pekintimes.com/news/x7492...unts-of-murder

Bond was set at $3 million by Associate Judge Jerelyn Maher, who said Cleary could post 10 percent of the bond to be released.

Cleary asked Maher to release him on his own recognizance, saying that would allow him to work and hire his own attorney. Otherwise, Cleary said, he would need a public defender.

Puzzled by Cleary's request, Tazewell County State's Attorney Stu Umholtz said after the hearing Cleary apparently didn't understand the seriousness of the charges against him.

"The judge obviously understood the gravity of the situation and set a bond at a level that reflects that," Umholtz said.

Each count alleges Cleary hit his wife in the head with the intention of killing her. If convicted, Cleary could face up to 60 years in prison.

In addition to the charges in Tazewell County, Cleary is wanted on parole violation charges in the state of Washington related to an arson conviction from several years ago, court records said.

Although Cleary was considered a suspect in MeLisa Cleary's death all along, Umholtz said charges were filed only when they believed they had enough evidence.

"The goal here is not speed," Umholtz said. "There's only one chance to get it right."

Brandy Gerard, MeLisa Cleary's sister, let out a "whoop" when the hearing started. She was among about 15 people who gathered around a closed-circuit video monitor in the center's lobby to watch the hearing, which was conducted in a closed room in the jail.

Afterward, she said, "It was nice to see him all cuffed up and not able to go anywhere."

Another sister, Felicia Ellis, said she was relieved and overwhelmed by Daniel Cleary's arrest.

"It was hard to go day by day, waiting for an arrest and knowing he was out there," Ellis said. "But now that it has happened, I'm relieved."

The Clearys lived in Mackinaw with their three children, who now are in foster care in Macomb.
[...]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c002e0.html

**Saffron** · April 17th, 2010, 07:43 PM

Good news on this case at last!

**LadyCygnet** · April 17th, 2010, 08:02 PM

He looks smug. I wonder what other evidence he got to destroy by having her cremated?

**Dakota Valkyrie** · April 17th, 2010, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by LadyCygnet

He looks smug. I wonder what other evidence he got to destroy by having her cremated?

Obviously not enough.

**LadyCygnet** · April 17th, 2010, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Obviously not enough.

I sure as heck hope not! Here's hoping he's convicted and spends the rest of his life in prison (I know it said that max was 60 years, but he doesn't look like he'll make it to his 90s).

**Gidget** · April 17th, 2010, 09:42 PM

Damn. He certainly looks pleased with himself in that mugshot, doesn't he? Asshole. Hope he rots.

**sleepingwithghosts** · March 1st, 2011, 03:15 PM

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x19235508...ets-slow-start

**Darsa** · March 1st, 2011, 04:23 PM

Judge Stuart Borden on Monday ruled that Daniel Cleary's attorneys would be allowed to present some of MeLisa Cleary's text messages to the jury, as well. Some of those were described in open court as evidence of her "high-risk lifestyle" immediately before her death.

I don't understand; I may have missed something, but where did it say anything about a high-risk lifestyle? I read about her being an awesome mom, a daycare provider, that everyone loved her... but nothing about any "high-risk" lifestyle, unless they're including living with the smug asshole in that mugshot above.

I hope that MeLisa's family gets the justice that they so rightly deserve after all this time.

**biteme** · March 1st, 2011, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by Darsa

I don't understand; I may have missed something, but where did it say anything about a high-risk lifestyle? I read about her being an awesome mom, a daycare provider, that everyone loved her... but nothing about any "high-risk" lifestyle, unless they're including living with the smug asshole in that mugshot above.

I hope that MeLisa's family gets the justice that they so rightly deserve after all this time.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x10400682...ry-murder-case

Borden also heard the testimony of two men the defense hopes to call at trial, but did not make a ruling on admissibility. He asked that both sides file arguments as to why the testimony should or should not be allowed.
The state filed a motion asking that the testimony of the two men not be allowed. In the defense response to the state motion filed Tuesday, the defense argues that MeLisa was sexually involved with one man and propositioned another man she had met on MySpace a few hours after a sexual contact with the first man.
“The reality of MeLisa Cleary’s lifestyle choices is that she was exposed, often in intimate ways, to a greater number of random people and therefore there was a great increase in potential danger she was exposed to. The more casual, intimate relationships one has, the more one exposes oneself to a dangerous element. ... Therefore it is reasonable for the defense to offer alternative theories of what may have happened to MeLisa Cleary, and when it happened,” the defense argued in its response to the state’s motion to not allow the testimony of the men.

**sleepingwithghosts** · March 1st, 2011, 11:55 PM

http://www.pekintimes.com/newsnow/x1...y-murder-trial

Daniel Cleary showed no emotion as Tazewell County Assistant State's Attorney Larry Evans described MeLisa's fatal injuries, a crushed jaw, eye socket and skull.

**MadeaBecBec** · March 2nd, 2011, 12:18 PM

She had last been seen alive one day prior, and family had requested police check the house. They believed, based on statements MeLisa Cleary had made earlier, that her husband had done something to her because she had not been in contact with them as often as usual.

Daniel Cleary told McKiney that his wife did not feel well on the afternoon of June 6, 2008, and had gone to bed. He said he took his 12-year-old stepdaughter to a friend's house to spend the night, then took the couple's two children out for ice cream in Mackinaw. When they came home, he and the children fell asleep on a couch, and he awoke about 11 p.m. to find MeLisa Cleary and their SUV gone.

MeLisa Cleary had asked for a divorce a few weeks earlier, and it was common for her to be gone all weekend, Daniel Cleary told police. He allowed McKiney to search the home, and the deputy found the couple's bed had been stripped of its sheets and two pairs of tennis shoes freshly washed in the laundry room. When the deputy walked into the garage, Daniel Cleary was scrubbing a spot on the floor that he said was from motor oil.

Prosecutor Evans said Daniel Cleary warned his then-12-year-old stepdaughter - MeLisa Cleary's daughter from a previous relationship - not to go into the garage when she came home the afternoon of June 6, 2008.

But as Daniel Cleary took a shower, the girl went into the garage and opened the passenger door of the SUV to retrieve her purse, Evans said. She later told police there was "a form" wrapped in a blanket in the back seat.

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x11749599...in-Cleary-case

Wow!

About the Myspace thingy, if Daniel knew her password or whatever, it's possible that he could've posted different comments or messages, supposedly from her, in pre-meditating her murder!

**sleepingwithghosts** · March 2nd, 2011, 07:33 PM

http://www.pekintimes.com/newsnow/x1...-happens-to-me

“She asked to speak to us — she had a very serious face,” said Nicole Simpson, MeLisa’s friend and boss. “She said, ‘If anything ever happens to me will you take my kids?”

Simpson said she asked MeLisa if something more had happened in her relationship with her husband, Daniel Cleary, who she said had previously told MeLisa that, “I’ll never let you out of this marriage — I’ll kill you first. No one else will ever have you.”

**sleepingwithghosts** · March 3rd, 2011, 08:11 PM

http://www.pekintimes.com/newsnow/x1...er-takes-stand

“She said, ‘I want to leave Dan, but I’ll never make it out alive,’” said Gerard of her MeLisa’s conversation with her. “I asked her, ‘do you really think he’s capable of killing you?’

“She said, ‘Yes, he’ll kill me and burn the house down.’ I told her ‘you needed to get your most important things ... and leave.’ She said, ‘It doesn’t matter. He’ll find me and kill me.’”