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Ap ri l 24 , 2015 • $ 1.0 0
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Despite late inning errors, Prairie Ridge holds off Crystal Lake Central in 5-3 conference win / C1
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Lantz asks county to pay legal fees Judge orders baby remains to be preserved in misconduct case against ex-coroner By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A McHenry County judge ordered officials to hold off on the burial of “Baby Doe,” while the former coroner asked for a special prosecutor to defend her.
Marlene A. Lantz, 68, of McHenry, was indicted on official misconduct and forgery charges stemming from the 23-year-old mummified remains of a baby boy that were found earlier this year in the coroner’s office. According to prosecutors, Lantz never buried, cremated or
donated to science the remains after the baby died in March 1992, as she is directed to do in her capacity as coroner. Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs previously filed a motion to bury the baby, saying in court documents: “The body of Baby Doe … has been in
a cardboard box in a cooler in the morgue since 1992 and deserves a burial.” But Lantz’s attorney, Jamie Wombacher, objected to a burial at this time, saying there could be cause for further examination of the remains in the course of defending Lantz.
McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt agreed. He ordered the remains to be preserved until further order of the court. Wombacher pointed to conflicting autopsies – the first conducted in 1992 found the baby was
Marlene A. Lantz
See LANTZ, page A4
Obama regrets 2 deaths by drone American, Italian hostages killed in January strike By JULIE PACE The Associated Press WASHINGTON – Blaming the “fog of war,” President Barack Obama revealed Thursday that U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan inadvertently killed an American and an Italian, two hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two other Americans who had leadership roles with the terror network. Obama somberly said he took full responsibility for the January CIA strikes and regretted the deaths of hostages Warren Weinstein of Rockville, Maryland, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian aid worker. The president cast the incident as a tragic consequence of the special diffiBarack Obama culties of the fight against terrorists. The incident is likely to spark fresh scrutiny of Obama’s frequent use of drones to target terrorists and his pledge to strike only when there is “near certainty” that no civilians will be harmed. Weinstein, who was captured as he neared the end of a contract assignment with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Lo Porto were killed during a drone strike against an al-Qaida compound in Pakistan, near the Afghan border. U.S. officials said the compound was targeted because intelligence showed it was frequented by
Photos by Matthew Apgar – mapgar@shawmedia.com
Northwood Middle School students (from left) Clay Truman, Jacob Brucker and Luke Duenas discuss a science question Thursday during the 28th annual Middle School Scholastic Bowl at Marengo Community Middle School in Marengo. BELOW: Students pack the Marengo school’s gymnasium Thursday during the annual Middle School Scholastic Bowl. Teams from 17 different schools compete against each other in a variety of school subjects.
Teens test academic skills Area students compete in scholastic bowl in Marengo By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com MARENGO – One million might be Cary seventh-grader Ved Patel’s new favorite number. Patel and his scholastic bowl team used the number as a guess answer to the question of how many cycles per second equals one megahertz. The question came in the final round of a nearly three-hour academic competition and, as Patel sees it, secured them third place.
See COMPETITION, page A4
On the Web To view video and photos from the event, visit NWHerald.com.
See OBAMA, page A4
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Trustees OK $25.3 million budget that includes maintenance items, staffing cuts / A3 STATE
Predators force Game 6 Nashville figures out how to beat rookie Scott Darling, scores three goals in 3rd to send series back to Chicago / C1
Ill. lawmakers fast-track OK Bill ensures park land in Chicago can be used for presidential library, Lucas museum / B3
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