Death certificate requested in Olsen case
By CARRIE FRILLMAN
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cfrillman@daily-chronicle.com
SYCAMORE – With no body discovered and no peace of mind, the mother of a missing Maple Park man asked a DeKalb County judge Thursday to grant her a certificate for his death.
Bradley Olsen, who was 26 when he disappeared, was last seen Jan. 20, 2007, at a DeKalb bar. Since that winter night, his mother, Sue Olsen, has led many search efforts, scouring hundreds of miles in DeKalb County and parts of Kane County. A $50,000 reward is still offered for information about Bradley Olsen’s whereabouts and the case is still under investigation.
But Sue Olsen stood before DeKalb County Presiding Judge Kurt Klein on Thursday, asking the court to order a presumptive death certificate for her son. She testified that the request is being made in order to secure Bradley Olsen’s Social Security benefits for his 9-year-old daughter.
When a person vanishes without a trace, as Olsen did, Illinois law typically requires a family to wait seven years before a death certificate is issued, said the family’s attorney, Christine Taylor.
On behalf of the Olsens, she asked Klein on Thursday to make an exception.
“Based on the facts and circumstances of this case, he is missing and is presumed to be deceased,” Taylor said. “... There was some suspicion in the beginning that Bradley Olsen had just disappeared, but today that’s not the case.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Engerman did not ask Sue Olsen any questions following her testimony – an emotional summary of her son’s disappearance and the subsequent search efforts.
“On behalf of the state’s attorney’s office, I understand the position the family is in,” he said, adding there are no charges pending against anyone in Olsen’s disappearance.
The case remains an ongoing homicide investigation, he said.
Olsen owned no property, vehicle or real estate, his mother said. A $10,000 health insurance policy may exist from a job he held alongside his brother, she noted, adding that she’s unsure whether her family would ever able to collect that money.
Klein continued the case until the end of November. He requesting that the insurance company potentially carrying $10,000 on behalf of Olsen be notified of the court proceedings.
“He wants to ensure the insurance company does not have any objections to our request,” Taylor said.
Following her testimony Thursday, Sue Olsen said she’s confident Klein will make the “right decision” and overlook the customary seven years a family is required to wait for a death certificate.
“There is a rule for everything and in our case, we’re just asking for there to be a change,” she said, after embracing a group of about 10 family members and friends who attended proceedings. “But this case will always remain open. We aren’t giving up.”
Search for information
A $50,000 reward is being offered for any information on Bradley Olsen.
He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs about 175 pounds and has blue eyes and brown hair.
He has a tattoo of a palm tree on his left ankle and a tattoo of a sun on his back.
He was last seen leaving what was then Bar One, which is on West Lincoln Highway near Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb.
He was wearing a brown leather jacket, a black shirt, jeans and boots.
DeKalb Police Department: 815-748-8400
CrimeStoppers: 815 895 3272
