Police recover 'significant evidence' in Fox Lake officer's death investigation
FOX LAKE (FOX 32 News) - A significant new piece of evidence was uncovered after police returned to the scene where Fox Lake Lt. Joe Gliniewicz was murdered, police announced Friday.
Investigators went into the wooded, marshy area with weed trimmers and machetes to cut down the tall grass and other shrubbery around the murder scene.
“We did recover a significant piece of evidence,” said George Filenko, Commander of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, “I know your next question is going to be what is it? I'm not at liberty to tell you.”
SEE RELATED: Police examining video in death of Fox Lake officer
Investigators brought in a highly specialized K-9 from the ATF, but it wasn't the dog who found the evidence, instead it was police officers crawling through the crime scene.
“They've basically gotten it down to almost bare earth. They're on their hands and knees literally today doing grid to grid searches,” Filenko said.
Police also revealed that they have found new videos, from homes and businesses that are more significant than the one they said they had Thursday. They all show the three suspects, described only as two white men and one black man. Some of the videos showing the men before Gliniewicz was murdered, some after.
The FBI is working to assemble them on a timeline, to help detectives better understand the suspects’ movements.
“I think we are optimistic about all of these videos right now because they all, they all come together chronologically, they are not separate, they are not independent, they're different cameras that are putting a story line together,” Filenko said.
He added that if indeed the suspects are locals, that when officers get a chance to look at images from the videos that they would be able to identify who they are.
Police also said they have gotten preliminary results back from the crime lab, including DNA evidence that they seemed confident could be eventually matched to the killers.
Investigators believe the suspects are probably still in the general area of Fox Lake, but with the extra police presence, they feel the community is safe.
“We are expecting a high volume of people out on the chain of lakes with it being a holiday weekend and there is no cause for concern for the people coming into town. There's no cause for concern for the residents within the town,” said Detecive Chris Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
Motorola Solutions has also offered $50,000 in reward money to help find the killers. Other businesses have pledged money as well, police said.
Other businesses or corporations that wish to provide reward money for information should call Lake County Undersheriff Raymond Rose at (847) 377-4367.
More than 100 good leads have come in and to help process them all, the FBI has brought it’s Command Van to Fox Lake and set up a national hotline and website dedicated to taking tips. Anyone with information can call 800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or log in to www.fbi.gov/foxlake