Murder-suicide suspected in Illinois beating death, crash: police

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (tel:18002738255). Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line)

CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.

Authorities in suburban Chicago were investigating the possibility that a man suspected in the beating death of his girlfriend intentionally swerved into oncoming traffic, killing himself and the driver of another vehicle, a law enforcement official said Thursday.

It was a "strong theory" of investigators that the man killed his girlfriend with a blunt object in his home in the Lake County community of Lindenhurst and then killed himself in the head-on crash, said Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chris Covelli, spokesman for the county’s Major Crime Task Force.

"It seems way too coincidental that he is suspected in this (the homicide) and then is in a high-speed crash where it appears he swerved at the last moment into an oncoming car," Covelli said.

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The crash occurred Monday in Winnebago County. The man, whose name hadn’t been released by authorities, was the only suspect in the slaying of 25-year-old Kelly Hedmark, of Algonquin, Covelli said.

Hedmark’s body was found by police Tuesday inside the home in Lindenhurst, about 44 miles north of Chicago, after her family learned of the boyfriend’s crash and reported her missing.

As part of the investigation, Covelli said detectives were examining the relationship between Hedmark and her boyfriend. Investigators would also examine the man’s vehicle to determine if something happened to it that caused it to swerve.

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (tel:18002738255). Or text HOME to 741-741 (Crisis Text Line)

CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide. Call 1-800-273-TALK for free and confidential emotional support.