543,018 People Went Missing Last Year
This story is about one of them
You know how everyone is shocked when they find out something terrible has happened in their neighborhood? This is one of those stories. Elmhurst, Illinois, is an idyllic suburb of Chicago where nothing terribly bad ever seems to happen. But, unfortunately, that adds a level of darkness to this disappearance.
Jake Cefolia was my boss’ boss, and there was just one degree of separation between us. He stepped into the role of Managing Director, Chicago Sales at United Airlines in 2007. He quickly advanced, eventually becoming the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales. I was but one of 725 on the team. Although we had limited direct contact, his stature alone intimidated me even though he was an affable guy. However, he seemed to be the kind of person that was there to climb the corporate ladder.
The facts in the case have been reported in various media many times over. On August 6, 2020, Cefolia returned home from California, where he had spent time with a girlfriend. He had dinner at the family home that evening, apparently intoxicated.
On the morning of August 7, he was captured on video filling up his car with gas. The vehicle was found in a forest preserve parking lot, again with video surveillance to back that up. Cefolia was to have dinner with…
