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CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker, Rafael Romo and Joanie Lum, and WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
CALUMET CITY, Ill. (CBS) ― Authorities are trying to determine whether a body found in a forest preserve in Calumet City is that of a Chicago woman who has been missing for more than a week.

As CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports, the woman's unclothed body was found in a deeply wooded area of the Wentworth Woods Forest Preserve, at 260 River Oaks Dr.

The body was found in the same area where police had been searching for Nailah Franklin, 28, who was reported missing Sept. 19 after failing to show up for an important business meeting. She was last heard from the day before when she text-messaged her boyfriend about 8:15 p.m., police said.

Police said despite reports saying the body belonged to Franklin, that conclusion has not been reached.

"At no time did anyone identify this body," said Calumet City police Chief Russ Larson. "What we found here is a female unclothed, decomposing, but we can't identify the race or any other thing."

Chicago Police have been investigating Franklin's disappearance and were called to the scene, but, Larson said, "We won't know whether this is a Calumet City or a Chicago case until the person has been identified."

Authorities say due to the condition of the body they'll need dental records to make an identification. And until then, this is a parallel investigation between Chicago and Calumet City police.

The body was found just before 5 a.m., when two officers on regular patrol at the forest preserve along 159th Street found an unspecified item that caught their eye, which prompted them to walk around the area and led them o the body.

A source close to law enforcement says many officers were being especially alert to the Franklin case. Police, acting on a rumor that Franklin had dined at an Outback Steakhouse in Calumet City, started paying close attention to the tree-line along 159th Street, which leads from the restaurant into Hammond.

A source says police patrolling the area found a set of headphones, got out of the car to investigate, and detected an odor.

"The officers observed an item that drew attention that took their attention they got out they parked their cars and... walked around the area, without being too graphic they made the discovery," Larson said.

The discovery was made across the street from the River Oaks car dealership. Chicago police are looking at surveillance video taken from the car dealer's camera.

An employee there says he saw a black car that looked like Franklin's Impala parked in that area last Friday before 9 p.m.

He said it was parked by the tree-line and sped away but he thought nothing of it until police showed up at that location Thursday. That's when he told police about his observation.

"We all desperately want to find the identity of the person," Larson said.

Chicago Police Harrison Area Cmdr. Steve Peterson only said his detectives were called in to assist in a death investigation, and that there had been previous searches for Franklin nearby.

When the body is identified, another news conference will be held, police said.

An uncle who earlier said he believed the body was Franklin's later retracted the statement, saying it would not be known until authorities identified the corpse.

Police said they were working on gathering evidence.

"It's a crime scene. We're trying to gather any and all evidence pertaining to it so, I'm sure everybody watches 'CSI,'" said Calumet City police Cmdr. Dan Zorzi. "They all know how it's done."

Police say they don't expect the body to be identified before the day is over.

Franklin, an Eli Lilly pharmaceutical sales representative and University Village neighborhood resident, was reported missing Sept. 19 after failing to show up for an important business meeting. She was last heard from the day before when she text-messaged her boyfriend about 8:15 p.m., police said.

Her uncle, Dwayne Johnson, was one of the first people to arrive at the scene Thursday morning.

"We need to be ready to comfort that family, whoever this is, if it's not Nailah," Johnson said earlier. "They need comfort too because that's somebody's baby out there too."

Some neighbors who are familiar with the case of the missing woman say their heart goes out to her family.

"I think it's very sad that it might be her or it might not, but whoever it is, I feel sorry for the family," said area resident Kelly Lait.

"To end up like this, it's just terrible; but it goes to show you how society is becoming, you know?" added area resident Donna Nitz-Lait. "You can't be too careful."

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