Authorities want letters circulated about Dalton Mesarchik

Authorities are investigating letters that have been mailed to various Streator businesses regarding the 2003 unsolved murder of Dalton Mesarchik.

Mesarchik was just 34 days shy of his 8th birthday when he vanished from his family’s enclosed porch around 7:15 p.m. on March 26, 2003, in Streator, waiting for a ride to Bible study.

Law enforcement ascended on the scene with bloodhounds 45 minutes after he was reported missing, according to news reports at the time. The church driver had a family emergency out of state. The family said they were not notified.

Mesarchik was found less than 24 hours after he was reported missing in the Vermilion River, south of Streator in Livingston County by a fisherman around 11:30 a.m. on March 27.

The murder weapon, a three-pound Benchtop Pro sledgehammer– only sold at K-Mart, was found a few miles from the river in a steel trash receptacle, behind the Polish National Alliance Hall.

Streator Police Chief John Franklin said the police department has received three letters as of Wednesday morning that seem to be handwritten and then photocopied prior to being mailed from El Paso.

“The letters aren’t factual, but contain a lot of rambling thoughts,” the police department posted on its Facebook page on Monday night.

This is not the first time letters have circulated regarding the Mesarchik murder, In 2009 photo copied letters were anonymously distributed in the Streator area claiming to know who the murderer was, according to news reports at the time.

Once again in July 2010 letters circulated to businesses, residents and governmental entities in the Streator area claiming to have information about the murder or murderers as well as other crimes in the area.

Franklin said it’s unknown at this time if there is any connection to the previous letters sent to businesses in 2009 or 2010.

Police are asking anyone who receives a letter to minimize contact with the letter and pass it on to the Illinois State Police.

ISP did not comment but directed Shaw Local to the FBI for comment. The FBI public affairs team said Department of Justice policy prevents the FBI from commenting on the existence or non-existence of any investigation that may or may not be occurring.

“We again encourage the public to report tips on this case to the FBI by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov,” the agency said in an email.

If you receive a letter, you can drop it off at the Streator Police Department at 204 S Bloomington St. or call 815- 672-311.