Cops outline final hours of Round Lake Park woman's life

Authorities at a news conference Thursday described the final hours in the life of Melissa Ann Best, who died from morphine intoxication before two relatives left her body in a parking lot, they said.

Best, 34, of Round Lake Park, was found on the floor of a minivan in Grayslake last month, police said. She was discovered 10 days after her husband, Clinton, reported her missing.

Charles and Sherry Best, who live at an extended-stay Waukegan motel, each have been charged with concealing a homicide and are scheduled for a bond hearing Friday in Lake County circuit court, Assistant State's Attorney Stephen Scheller said.

Sherry Best, 33, also was charged with drug-induced homicide. Scheller said conviction on that Class X felony carries a mandatory prison sentence of 15 to 60 years.

Authorities said the Bests were taken into custody a little past noon Thursday.

Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said Charles and Clinton Best are brothers who worked together at a Waukegan business. Filenko said Charles, 37, never indicated anything to his brother while Melissa Ann Best was missing.

Test results recently received from the Lake County coroner's office show Melissa Ann Best died from morphine intoxication, which would be consistent for someone who used heroin, Filenko said. Morphine is the foundation of heroin.

“Sherry Best admitted to providing Melissa Best the drug that ultimately caused her death,” he said.

Filenko provided the following account of the final hours in Melissa Ann Best's life:

Melissa Ann Best voluntarily drove to a Waukegan motel on North Point Boulevard after dropping off one of her two children at a friend's apartment in Round Lake Park on April 15. The last confirmed sighting of her was at 1:10 p.m. that day.

At the motel room, Melissa Ann Best received a drug she injected into an arm that may have been heroin, lost consciousness and died from an overdose a short time later.

Her lifeless body was in the motel room when Charles Best returned home from work. Charles Best made an unsuccessful CPR attempt on his sister-in-law, but no one called 911.

Charles and Sherry Best hauled the woman's body down three flights of stairs and concealed it in the back seat of her minivan. With his wife following in a car, Charles Best drove the van to the Grayslake parking lot in the 1900 block of Country Drive.

Police investigators were led to Melissa Ann Best's body by her brother-in-law on April 25.

Clinton Best released a statement Thursday expressing deep sadness to learn his brother and sister-in-law were held on $1 million arrest warrants in connection with his wife's death. He called their alleged actions “heartless and cowardly.”

“With regard to my brother and sister-in-law being involved in Melissa's death and disappearance, I believe that no matter whom it is, they should be punished to the maximum for their involvement in this terrible and senseless crime,” Clinton Best said.

Although Melissa Ann Best did not have an addiction to drugs such as heroin, according to her husband and authorities, she had occasional troubles with alcohol.

“Melissa did have her share of problems,” Clinton Best said, “but was regardless a wonderful wife and mother and we miss her badly.”

Filenko said Charles Best was on probation the day his sister-in-law died, but additional details weren't immediately available. The chief also said Charles and Sherry Best's two young children were not home when their aunt died, but have been under Illinois Department of Children and Family Services supervision.

Clinton Best opened a Facebook account after his wife was declared missing. Tips from the Facebook site aided investigators, Filenko said.

Melissa Ann and Clinton Best met as high school sweethearts when they were 15 years old.

“What I am going to remember was how strong Clint Best was throughout this case,” Filenko said. “He's a very quiet, hardworking individual who just day to day provides for his family and who's totally in love with his wife.”