Schaumburg murder investigation nearing close

Schaumburg police are wrapping up the first stage of their investigation into Saturday’s stabbing death of a 31-year-old man and will soon be seeking the direction of the Cook County state’s attorney’s office on the next step.

That step will be to take one of three possible actions — to charge the man in custody, release him without charges or continue to look for more evidence, Sgt. John Nebl said.

The man who has been in custody since late Saturday night had not been charged as of Monday evening.

Police said the person in custody was at the apartment when the stabbing took place but would not classify him as a suspect.

A Sunday autopsy of James A. Gosnell, whose last known address was in Poplar Grove, determined his death to be homicide due to multiple stab wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The investigation began after paramedics were called at 10:12 p.m. Saturday to an apartment complex on the 1800 block of Georgia Court for a report of a person needing medical assistance.

When dispatchers learned the man might have been stabbed, police responded and found Gosnell seriously injured inside an apartment.

He was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, where he was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m.

An adult inside the apartment where Gosnell was found, as well as two others nearby, was taken to the Schaumburg police station for questioning. But only one remained in custody Monday, Nebl said.

Neighbors Sunday said they’d seen officers taking a man out of the building in handcuffs during the commotion of late Saturday night and putting him in the back of a squad car.

Schaumburg police have said they don’t believe the stabbing to be random and there is no threat to the public.

Police are expected to release more information late Tuesday morning.

Their ongoing investigation is being assisted by the Major Case Assistance Team Forensics Unit and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

ŸDaily Herald staff writer Paul Biasco contributed to this report