Family, friends gather for funeral of Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, who was found dead in former Northwestern professor’s apartment

Trenton Cornell-Duranleau.

Source: Facebook

Trenton Cornell-Duranleau.

Ben Pope, Summer Editor

Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, the 26-year-old hairstylist found dead in former Northwestern professor Wyndham Lathem’s apartment on July 27, was buried in funeral services near his family’s Michigan home on Saturday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Only family and friends were allowed to attend the services at a church in Lennon, Michigan, the Sun-Times reported, in keeping with requests for privacy by Mischelle Duranleau, Cornell-Duranleau’s adopted mother.

“Our Family is deeply saddened by the death of our son,” Duranleau posted Aug. 3 on Facebook. “It is our hope that the person or persons responsible for his death are brought to justice. We are asking that you allow our family to process and grieve this tragedy privately.”

After Cornell-Duranleau was found dead from more than 40 stab wounds in Lathem’s North State Street apartment, a weeklong search for Lathem and University of Oxford employee Andrew Warren — also accused of the murder — began. The two surrendered in California on Aug. 4 and are now awaiting extradition back to Chicago for arraignment, said Lathem’s lawyer, Barry Sheppard.

Cornell-Duranleau moved from place to place in Michigan after the childhood death of his biological mother, according to the Chicago Tribune, and continued to switch jobs and locations frequently after beginning work as a hairstylist in 2011. According to the Tribune, he landed his first job at Timber’s Salon in Trenton, Michigan.

Timber Baun-Crooks, who owns the business, told the Tribune that Cornell-Duranleau was “energetic” and “talented.”

“He was an excellent hair dresser — very creative — but he wasn’t from the area and he didn’t build a clientele as fast as he would have liked,” Baun-Crooks told the Tribune.

After working at multiple salons afterward, Cornell-Duranleau moved to Chicago last year, the Tribune reported.

“(Trenton’s) enthusiasm for life was infectious,” his mother posted in an obituary on Facebook. “Trenton was a caregiver and loved to help others. His youthful free-spirit fueled his love of cars, video games and cartoons.”

The funeral was moved to a larger venue shortly before it was held, as Cornell-Duranleau’s family received a large amount of outreach, his mother wrote in an Aug. 8 post on Facebook. About 75 cars filled the parking lot at Lennon Wesleyan Church for the services, according to the Sun-Times.

Friends of Cornell-Duranleau told the Tribune they remembered him as a funny and curious person.

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