Authorities have arrested and charged a man in the shooting deaths of his two brothers in Highland Park, according to a statement from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
Jeffrey Austwick, 54, of Highland Park, was apprehended at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, June 7, in a St. Louis park after a two-day manhunt. He is charged with the murders of Marc Austwick, 63, of Lake Forest, and John Austwick, 60, of Mundelein.
Preliminary evidence suggests that Marc and John Austwick visited their younger brother, Jeffrey, likely arriving on the evening of Tuesday, June 5, at 1726 Park Avenue West in Highland Park to discuss property owned by their late mother, Phyllis Austwick, who died on Friday, May 31. At some point, Jeffrey allegedly shot and killed his brothers and then set the house on fire.
No further details about the encounter have been released.
Task force spokesperson Chris Covelli told The Record that forensic evidence and interviews with neighbors and family members led investigators to focus on Jeffrey Austwick.
Emergency units responding to a fire discovered the bodies of Marc and John Austwick at approximately 4 a.m. Wednesday outside the burning home. The Lake County Coroner’s Office later determined that the men died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Property records indicate that Jeffrey Austwick lived at 1726 Park Avenue West with his mother, Phyllis Austwick.
Jeffrey Austwick remains in custody in Missouri, pending a court hearing.
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