Justice for William "Boo" Young: Investigate His Hanging Death

My father, William Young, known to many as "Boo," was found dead in LaSalle County, Illinois, in September 2018 under circumstances that our family believes were never fully and properly explained.

William was a father, a man of faith, a preacher, and someone who had a deep impact on his family and community. Thousands of people showed up to honor him because of the life he lived and the way he touched people. He was funny, loving, present, and deeply connected to the people around him.

This petition is not just about grief. It is about unanswered questions, documented concerns, missing clarity, and the need for a complete and transparent review of what happened to him.

According to the police report, William was found on September 17, 2018, near the 101 Supper Club in LaSalle, Illinois. The report states that he was found on a hillside with jumper cables tied around his neck and tied around the trunk of a tree. His death was ultimately ruled a suicide. But to our family, the circumstances surrounding his death raised serious concerns from the beginning.

We are not asking people to accept rumors. We are asking people to look at the facts, the unanswered questions, and the parts of this case that still do not feel fully explained.

Another reason this case has stayed heavy on our family is that, three years later, in 2021, Jelani Day was also found dead in LaSalle County under circumstances his family publicly questioned. His death was officially ruled a drowning, but his family and supporters raised concerns about the investigation and rejected the idea that his death was self-inflicted.

I am not saying these cases are the same. I am saying that when Black families are left with serious unanswered questions about deaths in the same county, it becomes even more important for William Young's case to receive an independent review. Our family deserves clarity, and so does every family that has had to fight to have their loved one's death taken seriously.

We are asking for William Young's case to be reopened and reviewed by the appropriate outside agencies, including the FBI and/or the Illinois Attorney General's Office, so that our family can finally receive answers.

What the case file says

The following details are based on the police report, records provided to our family, family observations, and details our family believes deserve further review:

• William Young was found dead in LaSalle County, Illinois, on September 17, 2018.

• Police were dispatched at approximately 9:03 a.m. for a suspicious vehicle near 101 Supper Club in LaSalle, Illinois.

• The police report states that William was found on a hillside, approximately 60 feet in front of his vehicle.

• The report states that jumper cables were tied around William's neck and tied around the trunk of a tree.

• Based on the report and our family's understanding, William was not found hanging vertically in the way many people imagine when they hear "hanging from a tree." He was found low to the ground or on a hillside, attached to a tree by jumper cables.

• William's vehicle was a black 2016 Nissan Altima.

• The report states that clothing was observed sticking out of both exhaust pipes.

• The report states that a bottle of window and glass cleaner was located in the vehicle.

• The report states that pills, clothing, a white lighter, cash, identification, and other personal items were located or collected.

• The report states that William stopped at a Road Ranger gas station hours before his death and purchased Newport cigarettes.

• The report states that Road Ranger surveillance footage was reviewed and that William was seen entering the store, making a purchase, walking near his car, and leaving.

• The report states that nearby surveillance footage from X-ercise Science was reviewed. According to the report, William's vehicle was seen pulling into the immediate area around 4:40 a.m., with later light activity observed, and no further movement seen until 9:00 a.m.

• The report states that the timestamp on one surveillance system was one hour fast, meaning the time shown on the video had to be adjusted.

• The report states that grass, weeds, or similar material were observed underneath William's vehicle.

• The report states that the passenger side of William's car appeared to have fresh damage, including brush, scratches, and dents from bumper to bumper.

• The report states that an autopsy was scheduled for 12 p.m. on September 17, 2018.

• The report states that the preliminary autopsy opinion was hanging, with no other significant trauma observed at that time.

• A later report states that the immediate cause of death was listed as hanging.

• The report states that Uber records were subpoenaed. According to the report, the requested Uber activity for William on the dates specified came back as "N/A." Our family believes that result still needs to be clearly explained.

• The report referred to William's wife as "estranged." Our family disputes that characterization as legally inaccurate and believes it was not verified as a legal status.

What still concerns our family

Even with the case file, our family still has serious questions about the investigation and the way this case was handled.

• Why was William's death ruled a suicide despite the unusual physical circumstances of the scene?

• Why was he found with jumper cables around his neck and tied to a tree?

• Where did the jumper cables come from, and how were they documented as evidence?

• Were the jumper cables tested for DNA, fingerprints, or other forensic evidence?

• Were William's hands, clothing, vehicle, and personal items fully processed for evidence?

• Was the damage on the passenger side of his car fully investigated?

• Why was grass, weeds, or similar material found underneath his vehicle?

• Was the fresh-looking damage to the vehicle connected to the scene, another vehicle, or something else?

• Were the tire tracks observed by family near the scene documented or investigated?

• Was every available surveillance camera in the area collected, reviewed, and preserved?

• What exactly did the Uber subpoena return, and what did "N/A" mean in relation to William's activity?

• Did the Uber subpoena include driver activity, rider activity, GPS data, app-location data, or only certain records?

• Were phone records, location data, vehicle evidence, and surveillance footage preserved in full?

• Why was the immediate family not allowed to view William's body when we asked?

• Why was an autopsy performed before the immediate family could identify him in person?

• Why did our family feel pressured to quickly choose a funeral home while we were still trying to understand what happened?

• Why did public reporting leave out details our family believes were critical, including that William was found with jumper cables around his neck tied to a tree?

• Why did the report include a relationship label our family believes was legally inaccurate?

Why this matters

When someone dies, people often talk about how much they loved that person. But when I say my father was loved, I mean that in the deepest way. William "Boo" Young was not a man who disappeared from people's lives quietly. He mattered to his family. He mattered to his children. He mattered to his community.

He was a man of God. He was a preacher. He worked with people. He made people laugh. He showed up for people. His life had meaning far beyond the way he died.

But this petition is not asking for justice because William was loved. Every person deserves to have their death investigated with care, dignity, and seriousness. Every family deserves clear answers when the facts do not make sense.

The case file itself contains details that our family believes deserved a deeper investigation: jumper cables tied around his neck and to a tree, clothing in both exhaust pipes, window and glass cleaner, grass or weeds underneath the vehicle, fresh-looking passenger-side damage, surveillance timing issues, and unanswered concerns about how evidence and family communication were handled.

If the original ruling is accurate, then a full independent review should be able to explain the evidence clearly. If there were mistakes, missed evidence, or failures in the original investigation, then William deserves justice, and our family deserves the truth.

Our family has lived with these questions for years. We are asking for the case to be reopened and properly reviewed by an outside agency.

What we are asking for

We are asking the FBI, the Illinois Attorney General's Office, and any appropriate oversight agency to review William Young's case and investigate the handling of his death.

We are asking for:

• A full independent review of the original investigation.

• A complete timeline of William's final known movements.

• Review of all available surveillance footage.

• Review of phone records, location data, gas station records, Uber records, and vehicle-related evidence.

• Confirmation of whether all physical evidence was collected, preserved, and tested.

• Forensic testing or retesting of any available evidence, including the jumper cables, clothing, vehicle, and personal items.

• A clear explanation of the passenger-side vehicle damage.

• A clear explanation of the grass, weeds, or similar material found underneath the vehicle.

• A clear explanation of the Uber subpoena result.

• A clear explanation of why our family was not allowed to view William's body.

• A clear explanation of why the report used a relationship label our family disputes as legally inaccurate.

• Accountability for any agency or official who failed to follow proper investigative procedures.

• Transparency for William's family and the public.

How you can help

Please sign and share this petition.

Please help us bring attention to William Young's case so that his death can be reviewed with the seriousness, care, dignity, and transparency it deserved from the beginning.

William deserves answers. Our family deserves answers.

Justice for William "Boo" Young.

#JusticeForBoo
#WilliamYoung
#LongLiveBoo