A CLOSER LOOK
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Public’s help sought in 5-month-old slaying of Sycamore mother, son By ERIC R. OLSON
eolson@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott knows the public has not forgotten. People regularly approach him and ask about it. “Have you got anything on that double-murder case?” But police know little about the person or people who broke into the rural Sycamore home of Patricia A. Wilson, 85, and her son, Robert J. Wilson, 64, and beat them to death. Police said the Wilsons were killed Aug. 14 at their home at 16058 Old State Road, sometime between 7:45 p.m., when Patricia Wilson had a phone conversation with a relative, and midnight. An autopsy found the Wilsons died from being beaten with a blunt object. The 5-month-old investigation has been a determined one. For weeks, more than 20 investigators worked the case, racking up more than $80,000 in overtime and generating more than 1,000 leads. The sheriff’s office now has two detectives assigned to work on it full time, chasing each lead as far as it will go. They have determined some things about the crime. There were signs the killer broke in, but it was not a robbery. It was not a crime of passion. It does not appear to have been a serial killer. But they said they do not know what motivated the killer or killers. They do not have any suspects. They do not know if the person or people responsible were local or from out of town. Scott and Chief Deputy Andy Sullivan say investigators need the public’s help to break the case. They urged anyone with information they haven’t told police to contact them. People with information can call the sheriff’s office at 815-895-2155. Or they can remain anonymous by calling DeKalb County Crime Stoppers at 815895-3272. There is a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. “Anything that the public may know, any information, we really want to hear because maybe we haven’t heard it yet,” Sullivan said. “Maybe it’s something new, maybe they haven’t called because they thought we already knew it, something like that. “Nothing’s too small.”
MASSIVE INVESTIGATION
Investigators were at a disadvantage from the start on the case. The killings
Eric Olson – eolson@shawmedia.com
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Andy Sullivan (left) and Sheriff Roger Scott talk during an interview Jan. 6 at the Daily Chronicle office in DeKalb. occurred almost 24 hours before the crime scene was discovered about 6 p.m. Aug. 15. The killer or killers were careful not to leave a lot of evidence at the scene, Sullivan said. They might have approached the home from the Great Western Trail, which runs close behind the home’s backyard. Although Robert Wilson had won a $1 million lottery prize in 1988, robbery does not appear to have been the motive – the only thing taken from the house was Patricia Wilson’s white, 2010 Chevrolet Impala. Sullivan was among the first on the scene on the evening of Aug. 15, and county crime-scene technicians spent hours at the home, taking the next four days to complete their work. Investigators have sent more than 100 items to the state crime lab for analysis, Sullivan said. Police have not revealed much of what they found at the crime scene. It is common for investigators to withhold information from the public so they can verify whether tips they might receive are legitimate.
Police activated the DeKalb County Major Case Squad, a cooperative in which the county’s largest police departments all contribute their best-trained detectives to try to solve major crimes. In addition, state and federal authorities provided support and air surveillance. More than 20 investigators from the sheriff’s office, as well as DeKalb, Sycamore and Northern Illinois University police worked on the case from Aug. 15 until Sept. 23. In all, they logged more than $80,000 in overtime, in addition to the regular hours, equipment costs and other costs associated with the investigation. Early on, investigators were focused on finding the vehicle, searching locations one could ditch a vehicle – in old barns, creeks and other out-of-the-way places. Finally, after 10 days and countless hours of searching, Chicago police located the Chevy legally parked in a lot near the Lincoln Park Zoo, where it appeared to have been for several days. “We were focusing on the vehicle and finding the vehicle because they needed
See INVESTIGATION, page 12
$25,000 reward offered Investigators still need the public’s help with information about the killings of Robert Wilson, 64, and his mother, Patricia Wilson, 85, on Aug. 14 at their home at 16058 Old State Road. Police said the killings occurred sometime between 7:45 p.m. and midnight that day. There were signs of a break-in at the house. Any information that someone knows that they haven’t reported – no matter how small – could help solve the case. To report a tip, call the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office at 815895-2155. Callers can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 815-895-3272. Police will protect the identity of callers to Crime Stoppers, who can still receive a reward.
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Friday, January 13, 2017
SEARCH FOR KILLER CONTINUES