A man from Central Illinois has been charged with First Degree Murder in connection with the 2020 death of a young woman, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced. The victim, Vanessa Ceja Ramirez, was discovered in Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve on November 4, 2020, two days after she went missing during a walk.
Ceja Ramirez had been strangled and partially burned, and evidence indicated sexual assault. Her death was classified as a homicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner. Sheriff's Police Detectives conducted an extensive investigation, executing numerous search warrants and analyzing DNA evidence to identify the suspect as Dakota Petrey from Lewistown, IL.
At the time of Ceja Ramirez's disappearance, Petrey resided in Oak Forest at a location where her cell phone was detected shortly after her family reported her missing. Investigators linked Petrey's DNA to samples collected from the victim and crime scene. It appears there was no prior acquaintance between Petrey and Ceja Ramirez.
Sheriff Dart commented on the gravity of the case: "This heinous crime is every parent’s worst nightmare," he said. "It took years of tireless work by our police detectives to investigate this case, but we never gave up on finding Vanessa’s killer and seeking justice for her and her family."
An arrest warrant for Petrey was issued on January 16. He was apprehended by Sheriff's Police on January 18 following his release from Fulton County Jail in Lewistown, where he had been detained since October 7, 2024, on unrelated charges.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office subsequently approved charges of First Degree Murder and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault against Petrey. During his initial court appearance at George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse on January 19, he was ordered detained pending trial.
Authorities remind the public that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.