Man in custody in Palatine slaying, girlfriend already charged
The Ingleside man accused of murdering Jesse M. Beskow of Fox Lake more than two years ago turned himself in to Palatine authorities Tuesday afternoon.
Palatine police say Preston J. Cooper, 24, of 35264 Ravine Lane, will be charged with first-degree murder for shooting Beskow, whose remains were found Saturday on Chicago's South Side.
A Cook County judge had issued a no-bond arrest warrant for Cooper hours earlier.
Also Tuesday, Palatine police charged Cooper's girlfriend, a Round Lake Heights woman they say witnessed and helped cover up the July 2006 murder.
Jacqueline M. Gallagher, 20, of 2172 N. Prairie Trail, was in a Rolling Meadows courtroom Tuesday, charged with concealing a homicidal death. A Cook County judge set her bond at $100,000. Her next court date is Oct. 22.
Police say Gallagher hosted the party at which authorities allege Cooper shot Beskow, 20, in the head. Gallagher and Cooper were living at her grandmother's condo at 900 E. Wilmette Road in Palatine at the time, police say. Gallagher's grandmother was in a nursing home at the time.
Police say Gallagher denied any knowledge of Beskow's whereabouts in February, but recently admitted she cleaned up blood, saw the body loaded into the trunk of her car and drove with Cooper to a wetland area near Chicago's Calumet Incinerator and left Beskow covered in tall weeds. She also replaced the carpet shortly after the murder.
Police say Cooper's father also helped dispose of Beskow's body and led detectives to the site on Sept. 25. He has not been charged.
Gallagher and Cooper were the parents of 2-year-old Preston Cooper Jr., who died of injuries from a suspicious fire that took place June 11 at 29 York St. in Fox Lake. The mother escaped with the boy, but not before he sustained burns to more than 50 percent of his body. He died several weeks later.
Authorities would not comment on whether the fire remains under police investigation.
The case of Beskow's disappearance went cold until February 2008, when Fox Lake police heard rumors of foul play at the party. Dozens of interviews and a forensic test of a section of repainted ceiling in the condo turned up nothing. Then last week, police tracked down a sixth person from the party who said Beskow had in fact been shot. Other witnesses eventually admitted to having also seen the murder, police said.
"I am very happy (Cooper) turned himself in but that doesn't mean this is over," said Fox Lake Chief Mike Behan. "We are still moving forward with our investigation, and we will get to the bottom of everything."
Palatine police said they believe more than a dozen people who were interviewed over the course of their probe initially lied to authorities.
In a news release, police called it a "sad testament that many individuals found it more important to not be an informer than to care about the coldblooded murder of their fellow man who was given less of burial than a household pet."
Residents of the Hilldale Manor subdivision noticed police staking out Cooper's Ingleside home and expressed disbelief at the turn of events.
"I'm shocked this is taking place in my neighborhood," said Lisa Davidson. "We have a very good neighborhood. It's quiet."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=238891">Cops: Bones belong to missing Fox Lake man murdered at party <span class="date">[09/29/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>