WHEELING, IL – Local law enforcement is conducting a probe in northwest suburban Wheeling, following the discovery of a deceased couple inside a residence. According to the police, they arrived at the residence located on the 300 block of 12th Street around 5:40 p.m. on Thursday. The visit was prompted by a 911 call from an individual who found the bodies during a wellness check.
Upon arrival, the responding officers identified the two deceased persons as a couple who had reportedly been facing relationship strain. A firearm discovered near their bodies further added to the somber scene.
The medical examiner subsequently identified the couple as 44-year-old Russell O’Connor and 46-year-old Marisa Dister. Employees at Old Munich Tavern and Grill in Wheeling, where Dister worked, informed WGN News that Dister was due to begin her shift at 4 p.m. on Thursday, but she never showed up, triggering the wellness check.
The forensics unit of the police department spent several hours on the scene, collecting evidence till after 11 p.m. Responding officers also removed pets- a cat and a rabbit- from the house.
A neighbor revealed that the pair had been in a relationship for 14 years. Police assured the public that there was no reason to apprehend any broader threat. The outcome of the autopsies, scheduled for Friday, is expected to offer further clues for this ongoing homicide investigation.