CROWN POINT | A 36-year-old St. Anne, Ill., man died after he was shot in the chest several times and his body was dumped in a farm field near Leroy, county officials said Friday.

The body has been identified through fingerprints as that of Corey Simmons, Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said.

Although a complete autopsy is scheduled for today, it was revealed through X-rays that Simmons suffered multiple gunshot wounds to both sides of his chest, Pastrick said.

The death is under investigation by the Lake County coroner's and sheriff's offices.

The man's frozen body, a pink flower print comforter thrown over it, was found in a field six feet from the road in Eagle Creek Township Thursday morning in the 16700 block of Clay Street. His body was noticed by a passing driver who called police, Pastrick said.

A complete autopsy had to be postponed until today because Simmons' body remained frozen late Friday afternoon, the coroner said.

Simmons had been listed as a missing person through the Kankakee County Sheriff's office since Feb. 15, and his body may have been in the field for some time, Lake County Police Deputy Cmdr. Shaw Spurlock said.

"The Kankakee County Sheriff's office has communicated with us, and we are reviewing the history of the victim," he said.

Spurlock said he had also spoken with Simmons' mother and his two sisters.

"We're a lot further now (with the investigation). A call from the Kankakee Sheriff's department put us on the right track," he said.

Anyone who believes they may have information on Simmons' death is asked to call the Lake County Police Investigations Unit at (219) 755-3346.