Gurnee police remember late colleague

Gurnee police are mourning the death of Officer Michael Young, an accomplished evidence technician who honed his skills in a select national forensic program and also served on the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

Young, 41, of Lindenhurst, was remembered Monday by his colleagues as a humble officer with an engaging personality who was dedicated to his profession. He died at home Friday.

"On his work, he had an unparalleled ability to speak for those no longer able to speak for themselves," Gurnee police crime prevention technician Tom Agos said. "More importantly, he was able to listen."

Young joined Gurnee police in 1995, eventually taking on the role of evidence technician. In 2009, he was named Gurnee's Officer of the Year and gained a similar statewide honor from the American Legion.

Along with serving Gurnee police, Young became chief evidence technician for the regional Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

To bolster his skills, Young became the first Illinois officer accepted to the renowned University of Tennessee Body Farm as part of a 10-week program at the National Forensic Academy in 2007.

Curriculum covered arson, weapons of mass destruction, trace evidence, crime-scene management and bloodstain pattern analysis. Young also worked with cadavers, and at the time said he improved his ability to lift fingerprints from dead bodies.

Young wasn't just about policing. Gurnee police Cmdr. Jay Patrick said Young was a skilled woodworker, while Agos remembered the late officer for his enjoyment of running and playing the drums.

Visitation is 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home Ltd., 120 W. Park Ave., Libertyville. Mass is set for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Libertyville's St. Joseph Catholic Church, 121 E. Maple Ave.

Young is survived by his wife, Tina, his parents, two siblings and other relatives.