Mount Prospect landlord found murdered in Chicago

When 69-year-old Harold Beilstein didn't come home Monday night his wife, Susan, knew something had gone wrong.

Shortly after she filed a missing person's report with Mount Prospect police the next day, police found him. He'd been beaten to death in the basement of the Chicago apartment building he'd owned for 10 years.

"He was probably checking in on people," said the couple's son, Matthew Beilstein, about why his father was at the building on Monday.

"He was a personable guy. He wanted to take care of the people who lived there."

Chicago police on Thursday said Beilstein's murder is under investigation. He was found shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday in the West Side building's basement on the 5300 block of West Division Street.

The Cook County medical examiner's office said he died of blunt trauma to the head and neck and multiple injuries to his body.

A friend of Beilstein discovered his body, burned beyond recognition, police said.

Beilstein was at the building almost every day, said Matthew Beilstein, who lives in Crystal Lake. His father was a real estate broker by training as well as a landlord.

Beilstein said he didn't know of any threats against his father or why anyone would want hurt him. He declined to comment on the investigation further, saying it's in the hands of police.

He said the family is now focused on Beilstein's funeral and finding the killer.

"If anyone knows anything, please come forward to police," said Susan Beilstein on Thursday.

Beilstein's wake will be from 3 to 9 p.m. today at Matz Funeral Home, 419 E. Rand Road in Mount Prospect.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, also at the funeral home.