Elk Grove Village police questioning man in 70-year-old's slaying

Elk Grove Village police confirmed Sunday that they are questioning a person in the death of 70-year-old Marilyn Wood.

Sgt. Michael J. Gaspari said that person is the same one who was apprehended after a car chase that ended in Glencoe late Friday night.

Gaspari said as of Sunday afternoon that no criminal charges have been filed or traffic citations issued.

Wood's body was found Friday in her home in the 1500 block of White Trail in Elk Grove Village. Later that night, police from Elk Grove Village, Cook County Sheriff's deputies and Glencoe officers pursued and eventually cornered a vehicle at a bluff near Glencoe Beach. A witness said an officer told spectators a suspect in a homicide had been apprehended.

David Dorman said his firm, Healthcare Financial Resources, based in Schaumburg, received a fax Friday morning, one day after the normally punctual Wood failed to show up for work.

He said the fax had Wood's signature and said that she had to leave abruptly for Minnesota because her brother-in-law had died. It said she would return on Wednesday.

Tracing the fax number to an Arlington Heights insurance firm, he was told by someone at the agency that a man had come in off the street and asked to use the fax machine. Later, someone from the agency called Dorman's business, giving a description of the car the man was driving, which matched Wood's car.

One of Wood's next door neighbors, Robert Kalish, said Wood lived with one of her sons until about a month to two months ago. Kalish said both he and Wood have lived in their homes for about 30 years but rarely had anything to do with each other.

"Their kids were older than our kids. They were cordial. Marilyn would always talk. She was very friendly. She would always wave."

Kalish said Wood went through a divorce years ago.

He said he was not shocked by the murder. "I always said something is going to happen there." But he is disappointed that only now are police lining the street.

"It would have been nice if we could have taken some of that energy and helped her with some of the problems she had ... before this happened."

Dorman said Wood was a model employee.

"She showed up for work early every day and she rarely missed a day at work," he said. "If she was going to miss a day at work, she always planned it in advance."

Co-workers were immediately suspicious when Wood failed to show up at work Thursday morning. That morning, human resources called Elk Grove Village police.

Dorman said police initially said everything was fine at the house. But when Dorman visited the house on Thursday afternoon, the mailbox was full.

He went back later that day, finding the mailbox empty but receiving no answer at the door.

Dorman said he and his co-workers were stunned by the news. "There wasn't enough Kleenex in the conference room on Friday when the co-workers were told."

Dorman said police dispatched grief counselors to the office.

"She was just a good person and a good worker. For her life to end like this, it's just sad."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=247472">Elk Grove police probing murder of 70-year-old <span class="date">[11/1/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=247392">Elk Grove police investigating suspicious death <span class="date">[10/31/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>