The manhunt for the three suspects believed to be responsible for the death of Illinois police officer Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz has entered the second day. So far, the more than 24-hour operation has yielded no results.
32-year veteran of the Fox Lake Police Department, Gliniewicz was shot while on duty around 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The officer was pursuing three suspects – two white men and a black man – described as suspicious. They were also considered to be armed and dangerous.
Gliniewicz died at the scene. He was the father of four boys.
Helicopters were dispatched to give assistance to around 100 officers early on Wednesday. About 48 police dogs are also aiding in the search. The manhunt involves the FBI, US Marshals and SWAT teams. Residents have been urged to stay indoors.
04 September 2015
Police are not ready to give a description of the shooters, but confirm that they are still believed to be two white men and a black man, Filenko says.
Investigators feel “optimistic” because the videos that have been received as they are coming “in chronological” order, Commissioner George Filenko told the press. He said additional video footage of the area has been recovered and that it includes images of people that police are interested in talking to.
A $50,000 reward has been offered for any tip that leads to the apprehension and conviction of the Fox Lake cop killers, police said at a Friday press briefing.
03 September 2015
It is likely that Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz will be buried on Monday, but the date remains unconfirmed.
Investigators are “moving forward”, Filenko said, adding that they are “getting an influx of significant leads.”
A private citizen has tuned into a video with potentially useful information, Commander Filneko said during the press briefing. The tape is now being worked on at the Homeland Security Department, he added. Filenko refused to give more details saying that he himself has not seen the tape yet as the Fox Lake police does not have the equipment to retrieve the video from the hard drive.
Area schools opened on Thursday after almost two days on lockdown, Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Detective Christopher Covelli told CBS Chicago. Covelli said there would be a heavy police presence at the schools as well as on the routes leading to them.
Kiefer, now in jail after being charged with two counts of disorderly conduct for falsifying a police report, is to appear in court for a bond hearing on Thursday.
Kristin B. Kiefer has been charged with falsifying her sighting of the suspected killers of Lieutenant Joseph Gliniewicz. The woman said she just “wanted attention from the family she worked for.”
The manhunt for three suspects, which on Thursday entered its third day, was thrown off course by Kristin B. Kiefer, 30, a local nanny.
Kiefer called 911 on Wednesday night saying two 'suspicious-looking men' approached her car and tried to get in on a highway in Volo.
The alert sparked a futile five-hour search, which involved three helicopters and 85 officers.
02 September 2015
Leaders of four Fox Lake-area school districts are going to consult with law enforcement officials later on Wednesday on whether to keep facilities in full lockdown on Thursday, Daily Herald reports.
Fox Lake District 114, Grant High School District 124, Gavin District 37 and Big Hollow District 38 canceled classes on Wednesday.
Police have called on residents to contact Fox Lake Police Department if they “suspect anything or simply have a feeling something is wrong.”
Overall, Fox Lake Police are “satisfied” that results from yesterday's search were thorough, but they are not making any assumption.
Lake County investigators say there is no reason to believe that Lt. Gliniewicz was targeted as in other police shootings, but add that nothing can be ruled out.
Detectives are turning over every leaf and blade of grass to see if they can find anything, as the searched area has a lot of foliage, Filenko told reporters.
Initial reports suggested that the officer’s gun and pepper spray were taken after a foot pursuit, but Filenko could not confirm whether or not some of Lt. Gliniewicz's gear was taken from him.
Up to 100 investigators are working on the case simultaneously, Filenko said.
Lt. Gliniewicz's autopsy took 2 1/2 hours and was concluded last night, Filenko said, but he declined to reveal more details, as the investigation is still ongoing.
There is no indication the killers have crossed state lines, but police have received calls from "as far Australia and England," Filenko said.
Nothing has been found on surveillance video just yet, the commander said, but there are “a lot of social media leads,” and authorities are “going through a lot of data.”
Lake County investigators are looking into "hundreds" of potential leads in the manhunt for killers of the police officer, Lake County Major Crime Task Force Commander George Filenko told journalists at the latest press conference.
Filenko says he's optimistic that suspects will be apprehended as the search continues.
Police expanded the search for three suspects on Wednesday morning, as it is now believed that the shooters have left the area.
“We no longer believe the suspects are in the secure perimeter area," Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said.
After 14 hours of unsuccessful searching, police took down a "secure perimeter" that they had established in the area around the scene of the shooting.
01 September 2015
Police is looking for a white man and a black man; they are considered armed and dangerous.