Lake County murders drop again, continuing long-term trend

Fewer people were murdered in Lake County in 2008 than in the previous year, continuing a trend that has been prevalent since 1980.

A dozen people were homicide victims last year, down from 16 in 2007.

That decrease mirrors the generally steady decline in murders during the past 28 years, one that has strengthened in the last decade.

Police in Lake County closed the books on every 2008 murder case except one, with arrests or the suicide of a suspect - a success rate unseen since 1986.

Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said the statistics buck trends seen nationwide and in Chicago, which ended the year with the most murders since 2003.

"Chicago's rate is going up, ours is going down," Curran said. "I believe that is a result of the tremendous support our local governments put behind law enforcement."

Eight males and four females died at the hands of others in Lake County in 2008. Half the victims were under age 20.

Coroner Richard Keller said the number of young victims, the most since 1992, is a sign there is more work to do.

"There are too many young people on the list, that is for sure," Keller said. "I believe that is telling us that we have to step up our efforts to convince young people that there are alternatives to violence."

Since 1980, homicides have increased in the county over the year before only 11 times, or roughly 39.2 percent of the time; they have fallen in 15 years or 53.5 percent. The year-to-year figures were the same four times, making up the remaining 7 percent.

In the last 10 years, homicide numbers year-to-year fell 70 percent of the time, despite a population rise of more than 200,000 over the previous decade. The last year-to-year increase in murders was 2007, the first in three previous years.

The highest one-year murder total since 1980 is 25, in 1982 and again 1994; the lowest was nine, in 2000.

"One murder is one murder too many, but I think we see over the long term that proactive police work and public education play a valuable role," Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller said.

He named the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force as one factor in quickly solving murder cases.

The county's youngest murder victim in 2008 was 4-month-old Jasmine Mace, who died April 16; the oldest was Jeanie Lowrey, who was killed May 17 at 70.

No murders occurred on a Sunday, the first year a day of the week was homicide free since Saturdays in 2004.

The only unsolved murder in 2008 is the May 29 shooting of Livy Geater in North Chicago.

Statistics can point to trends and show investigators trouble spots, but they can't answer the often-asked question about murder - why?

No murders were recorded in Round Lake Beach for the two years before 2008, but the village had three last year, tying it for the most of any single police jurisdiction.

Round Lake Beach police Lt. David Hare, chief of investigations, said the killings - two domestic disputes and one argument over money - are in contrast to strides made in the community to reduce gang violence.

"We have talked about what happened with our homicides in 2008, and I really do not think there is one good answer," Hare said. "Murder is more often than not a spontaneous act of violence impossible to predict."

In addition to the cooperation between law enforcement and investigative agencies, Hare said, police in Lake County have other partners in finding criminals.

"What we have seen here is that the community steps up and works with us on these cases," he said. "People with information answer our questions, and that is the key to solving any type of crime."