Police: Lake Barrington man committed murder to fake own death

What was thought to be the accidental death of a Lake Barrington man last month was actually a macabre murder with a suicide and a life insurance scam twist, authorities said Thursday.

Justin Newman, 20, of Arlington Heights was lured to Ari Squire's Lake Barrington home with the promise of a job. Instead, Squire killed Newman and faked his own death, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said.

Using Newman's car and identification, Squire fled the area, Curran said. Squire shot himself to death a week later in a Missouri hotel room as police came to question him.

Squire's motivation? Police said they believe it was to collect on a $5 million insurance policy on his own life. Authorities said they think other people may be involved.

Squire, 40, an owner of Main Beam Construction, got to know Newman through Newman's job at the Home Depot in Lake Zurich, Curran said.

Newman told his mother and co-workers he was going to meet with Squire on Feb. 23 at his home at 28031 N. Lakeview Drive to discuss a job in Missouri.

Before the meeting, Curran said, Squire purchased blue-tinted contact lenses and brown hair dye as part of an apparent plan to make himself more closely resemble his intended victim.

About 8:24 a.m. on the day of the meeting, Wauconda fire officials were called to a fire in the garage attached to Squire's home.

Firefighters extinguished the flames and discovered the body of a man underneath a pickup truck that had apparently fallen off a jack as it was being worked on.

The body was too badly burned to be identified. It was dressed in Squire's clothing and had Squire's wallet and identification in a pocket, Curran said.

Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said an autopsy determined the person was dead before the fire started. Investigators said they believe Newman was unconscious when Squire dressed him in his clothing, dropped the truck on him, then started the vehicle on fire.

Despite the age difference, Keller said, Squire and Newman had similar physical characteristics and it would be possible to mistake one man for the other.

On Feb. 25, Newman's mother reported him missing. His description and vehicle information were entered into the nationwide police computer system.

At the same time, Squire's funeral arrangements were proceeding. An obituary appeared in local newspapers and a party was held at a Skokie restaurant in his honor, Curran said. About 120 guests attended, including a Lake County sheriff's detective.

But Cook County officials began coordinating their investigation of Newman's disappearance with Lake County officials. There were questions about Squire's supposed death once it was learned the two were to meet, Curran said.

DNA tests and dental records were being sought to positively identify the body in the morgue, Curran said, when a police officer on the March 2 midnight shift in Eureka, Mo., entered the picture.

"The officer was doing his job and running license plates on cars parked in the lot of a Days Inn," Curran said. "When one of the plates came back to Justin Newman, red flags went up."

The officer called for assistance and the hotel clerk confirmed someone named Justin Newman had rented a room.

When officers knocked on the room door, Curran said, a shot rang out. A man, later identified as Squire, was found dead inside with a single gunshot wound to the head.

"We have one murderer who was too much of a coward to face the music," Curran said. "So he stuck a bullet into his own head."

Keller said DNA taken from family members identified Newman as the man in the morgue. His family was notified of his death Wednesday.

Curran said Squire was having financial problems and believe he was trying to collect on the insurance policy.

Squire was convicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2005 of overbilling Medicare for $838,920 through a company he ran named AccuCare Inc., Curran said.

Federal officials placed Squire on probation for five years, Curran said, and the legal costs may have added to his financial woes.

No charges have been filed against anyone else in the case, Curran said.