Man tied to McHenry Co. teen's disappearance strikes deal

A Lake County man linked to the 2002 disappearance of a 17-year-old boy has struck a deal with county prosecutors to testify against suspects in the presumed murder, multiple sources familiar with the investigation said Thursday.

Under the deal, Shane Lamb, 25, of Lake Bluff, would receive immunity for his undisclosed role in killing of Brian Carrick, but instead receive a short prison sentence on an unrelated drug case, according to an official who has seen the agreement.

Sources did not indicate on the record who Lamb would testify against, but an indictment could be forthcoming.

McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi said he could not comment on the matter because it is a pending investigation. Lamb attorney Zaid Abdallah could not be reached for comment.

Carrick, of Johnsburg, vanished Dec. 20, 2002, from his workplace, Val's Foods, a grocery store near his home. Police said traces of Carrick's blood and other indications of a struggle were found in the store, but there was otherwise no sign of the teen.

Lamb was linked to the case about five years later when Carrick's former supervisor at Val's, Mario A. Casciaro, 26, of McHenry, was indicted on perjury charges alleging he lied to a grand jury investigating the disappearance.

During a trial on the charges last year, former friend Alan Lippert testified that Casciaro admitted he and Lamb played a part in Carrick's disappearance.

"I asked him, 'Is it true that you told (Lamb) to kill Brian?'" Lippert testified. "He said it wasn't even like that. He said that Brian owed him money and he told (Lamb) to scare him and that something happened, it got out of hand and there was an accident."

Casciaro denied ever making those statements and was found not guilty after the trial.

A second man, Robert Render, 24, of McHenry, also was charged with concealing a homicidal death in connection with the case, but prosecutors dismissed those charges last month, citing a need for further investigation.

Lamb has been in the McHenry County jail since April on charges of unlawful delivery and unlawful possession of cocaine charges. He is scheduled to face trial in March on the felony allegations. If convicted on both counts, he could be sentenced to 15 years in prison.