Bureau County sheriff says Wyanet death still under investigation, but no evidence of foul play or assault

The mother of Keith Raulerson, the 18-year-old man found unconscious in Wyanet, has concerns about her son’s reported cause of death.

“Keith was found on our patio with scrapes on his knees, and both sides of his face were busted up,” Denise Raulerson said. “His hands were scraped up and he had bruises on his chest, and I am not sure if that was all caused by exposure.”

On Tuesday, Bureau County Coroner Kurt Workman said in a news release that Keith Raulerson died as a result of exposure with no signs of trauma.

Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed said Wednesday that the office’s thoughts and prayers go out to the Raulerson family and friends, saying it is always disturbing to see a death of a young member of the community.

“This case is not closed. It is still under investigation because there are still things we do not have answers to and maybe never will,” he said. “However, the cause of death, which has been investigated by Coroner Workman and the forensic pathologist, has been determined to be hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy – in layman’s terms, exposure.”

Reed said the pathologist determined that the injuries observed on Keith Raulerson’s body were superficial and not deep tissue injuries.

“There is no evidence to suggest foul play or Raulerson was assaulted,” Reed said.

Denise Raulerson said her son was missing for 39 hours with no injuries on his body before being found on his patio. The sheriff’s office urged anyone with information about Keith Raulerson in the Wyanet area between Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 to come forward. Call the sheriff’s office at 815-875-3344.

“He was not the kind to just lay on the patio and freeze to death, especially when he knows the back door is open,” Denise Raulerson said.

On Dec. 21, Keith Raulerson was found outside the home and taken to OSF St. Clare Medical Center in Princeton, Workman said in the release.

After an extended resuscitation effort, Raulerson died, Workman said.

A forensic autopsy was performed Dec. 26, and results showed that he died as a result of exposure and had no signs of trauma, Workman said.