HIGHLAND PARK, IL – Investigators are piecing together the circumstances surrounding the murder of two brothers in Highland Park, Illinois. Owing to the convoluted nature of the crime, the officials from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office claim they are making headway.
Emergency services were alerted to a house fire in the vicinity of Park Ave. West and Sunnyside. Upon their arrival, they discovered two deceased men with mysterious injuries outside the burning house. Initially thought to be a simple house fire, the situation rapidly escalated into a double homicide inquiry.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as Marc Austwick, 63, of Lake Forest, and John Austwick, 60, of Mundelein. Autopsies revealed that the brothers had succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, with the injuries unrelated to the house fire.
The now-burnt house was formerly occupied by the men’s mother, Phyllis Austwick, who was in her 80s and had passed away the previous week. Phyllis Austwick was declared dead on May 31 at Evanston Hospital due to medical complications.
Lake County investigators stated that they had not found any weapons on the premises and refrained from revealing any potential suspects. They assured the public that the incident seems to be an isolated event and poses no imminent community threat.