Lilly Bova case: Family questions investigation after 'slam dunk' case yields no charges

GLENVIEW - The Cook County State's Attorney's Office has declined to file criminal charges in the death of 16-year-old Lilly Bova, a decision that has left her family devastated and searching for answers more than two months after the fatal shooting.

The backstory:

For Lilly's mother, Christine Maga, the announcement marked the end of months spent waiting for what she believed would be a significant development in the case.

"I was keeping myself one foot in front of the other for that call yesterday," Maga said. "That was what I was keep myself going for, was that call. And now that that call is that call, not truly sure."

Lilly was killed on March 28 inside her family's third-floor apartment in Glenview. According to her family, her older sister was also home when Lilly allowed a 16-year-old boy she had known since 2020 into the apartment.

"They knew each other from 2020," Maga said. "I've seen this kid one time. He had a mask on, it was COVID. One time, that was it. Heard of him through the grapevine. He was not in the kids' schools because he was in trouble all the time."

According to the family, shots were fired within minutes of the teen entering the apartment.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office has been investigating the case. However, prosecutors ultimately determined that the available evidence was not sufficient to pursue criminal charges.

Maga said she struggles to understand that decision, pointing to what she believes is evidence that establishes a timeline of events.

She said surveillance footage from neighboring homes and observations made by Lilly's older sister helped identify what occurred after the shooting.

"He walked out and said, 'don't go in there,'" Maga said. "And he came out and he said, ‘can I have a hug?’ And my daughter said, ‘what?’ So she grabbed a pillow from the couch because she did not know what was about to just happen. And she said, ‘get out, get out, get out.’ And he called his mom and he left. And we have video footage of him."

Maga has also raised concerns about the investigation itself, alleging that key evidence may have been missed.

"The police officers call me and say, ‘we need your keys back.’ We forgot to test the doors for my fingerprints," Maga said. "I said, 'excuse me? I'm in the home. We are here. We have used that door.'"

She also questioned investigative decisions made after the shooting.

"They did not get a search warrant for his home, for the phone, for the gun, after he turned himself in," Maga said. "And the police are saying, no, she denied our search warrant. Who is telling the truth? Because this is still 1000% a murder."

Maga said she discovered what she believed was overlooked evidence 43 days after the shooting while cleaning out her daughter's room.

"On Mother's Day, I was cleaning out my daughter's room," she said. "I was packing her things and I see a bullet casing roll across the floor. I immediately call the police. And I say, there's a casing here. You told me you had it."

The decision not to file charges also came as a surprise to Maga, who said investigators had repeatedly indicated they believed the case was strong.

"These detectives were calling me every day. 'Slam dunk, slam dunk, waiting for the green light state's attorney. It's all her, we're done,'" she said.

What they're saying:

In a statement provided to media outlets, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office acknowledged the tragedy of Lilly's death while explaining its decision not to pursue charges.

Full Statement from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office

"The death of a young person is a profound tragedy, and we recognize the impact this loss has had on Lilly Bova's family, friends and the community.

"Based on the evidence obtained by law enforcement during their investigation, we cannot meet our burden of proof, and at this time, we cannot bring criminal charges. This is a challenging case, with many questions remaining about how this horrific incident unfolded.

"Throughout the review process, our Victim Witness staff remained in contact with the victim's family, and today prosecutors from our Felony Review unit personally informed the family of this decision.

"As prosecutors, we have a responsibility to file charges only when the evidence supports doing so. The CCSAO remains committed to pursuing justice and seeking accountability in all instances where our review of admissible evidence determines that we can successfully prosecute a case."

For Maga, the decision left her family without the resolution they expected.

"I can't even grieve. I can't even do anything," she said. "I'm in such a fight or flight mode. My body is not working anymore. I am not strong. I do not sleep. I think everybody is him because I don't know who he is."

We have reached out to the Cook County Sheriff's Office for comment and they sent us this statement: 

"The Sheriff’s Office understands the overwhelming grief and anger Lily Bova’s parents and loved ones feel. Our office shares their desire to bring the individual or individuals responsible for her death to justice.  Since March 28, Sheriff’s Police detectives and evidence technicians have continued their work to gather physical and electronic evidence from the scene and surrounding areas. We believe our recovery of gunshot residue, ballistic, and electronic evidence from the scene will eventually result in charges being filed in this case. Detectives have presented available evidence and information to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and have addressed every question or request made by prosecutors evaluating the case.  While we maintain there is currently enough evidence to support criminal charges, we respect the State’s Attorney’s request for more time.  We know there are individuals with pertinent information in this case and urge them to come forward by contacting Cook County Sheriff’s detectives at 708-865-4896."

 

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