Four charged with 2011 murder of Waukegan man found in Barrington-area forest preserve
Four people have been charged with the murder of a Waukegan man whose body was found in Penny Road Pond near Barrington about a year ago, Waukegan authorities said Thursday.
Nadia Palacios, 22, of the 3500 block of Winhaven Drive, and Roberto Guzman, 24, of the 1000 block of Berwick Boulevard, both of Waukegan, and Eric Castillo, 24, of the 38400 block of N. Sheridan Road in Beach Park, and Jose Horta, 19, of the 300 block of Edison Court in Waukegan, are accused of killing David Campbell, 27, Waukegan police Sgt. Gabe Guzman said.
Palacios is in Lake County jail on $2 million bail after officially being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and single counts of unlawful use of a weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm, Gabe Guzman said.
Roberto Guzman, Castillo and Horta appeared in court Thursday afternoon and were charged with two counts of first-degree murder. They are being held at the Lake County jail on $3 million bail, according to police.
Gabe Guzman said Cook County Forest Preserve District police investigators discovered Campbell's body in the Penny Road Pond in a forest preserve near Penny and Old Sutton roads on July 6. He had been strangled, police said.
The case was turned over to the Cook County sheriff's office, which has been investigating.
The break in the case came when Palacios' boyfriend, William Golden, was charged by Waukegan police in a separate incident last week.
Golden, 19, of the 1900 block of Washington Street in Waukegan, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, criminal damage to property, and unlawful use of a weapon after repeatedly shooting a car with a shotgun on the 2300 block of Ridgland Road, police said.
Guzman said investigators questioned Palacios not only about her role in Golden's arrest, but also about the Campbell murder. Palacios gave a voluntary statement regarding Campbell's murder, in which she implicated the three men, authorities said.
Through questioning, detectives discovered Campbell's homicide was retaliation for a crime he is believed to have committed against Castillo, Palacios, Horta and Roberto Guzman.
“Cook County detectives did an outstanding job in investigating this homicide,” said Waukegan Police Chief Daniel Greathouse. “Our detectives were able to supply the last piece of the puzzle and together, our departments were able to solve this murder. My heart goes out to the family of Mr. Campbell. I hope this brings some closure to their grief.”