Body of missing Lake Villa man found
The body of a man missing from Lake Villa for two weeks likely has been found, authorities said Friday.
Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim said a body believed to be that of Nicholas Steward was located about 10:30 p.m. Thursday near where his car was discovered hours earlier in Vernon Hills.
Nerheim said the body was discovered in an area three-quarters of a mile southeast of the apartment complex parking lot near where the car was found.
Authorities were unable to use fingerprints to confirm the identity of the body. But personal items found on the body point to it being Steward’s, Nerheim said.
DNA test results are due back Monday, Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd said.
An autopsy revealed the man died of apparent self-inflicted knife wounds, Rudd said.
Steward’s 2008 Saturn was discovered by a Vernon Hills police officer at 5:30 p.m. Thursday next to an apartment complex at 955 Westmoreland Drive. The officer was responding to an unrelated call. The officer saw the empty car parked at the end of the parking lot, near a cornfield and under a tree.
The car has been towed to a secure location to examine it for potential evidence, Nerheim said.
Steward, who was married and the father of a 1-year-old son, was last seen Sept. 20. The I-PASS in his Saturn registered at the Touhy toll plaza on I-294 that evening, according to police.