Authorities ID teen killed in Mundelein house explosion
Fingerprint analysis has confirmed that the body found after a house exploded last week in Mundelein was that of a 19-year-old who lived there, authorities said Wednesday.
Evidence indicates Patrick Thomason likely killed himself in the garage of the house on the 900 block on Killarney Pass Drive on Friday morning, and that action led to the explosions, police said.
Authorities have not explained exactly how Thomason killed himself or what specifically triggered the explosions that destroyed the house. No note was found, nor was a weapon recovered.
His death followed a family argument, police have said.
Police had suspected the body found in the garage was Thomason's, but it was badly burned and more investigation was needed.
After an autopsy by the Lake County coroner's office, state officials compared the body's fingerprints with prints Thomason provided after an arrest, authorities said.
With Thomason now identified, the police investigation into the explosion is closed, Mundelein Deputy Police Chief Don Hansen said.
The coroner's office and the state fire marshal are still trying to determine how Thomason died and what caused the explosion, Chief Deputy Coroner Orlando Portillo said.
The coroner won't close the case until the fire marshal's report is done, and that could take weeks, Portillo said.
Thomason's father, Philip Thomason Sr., was injured in the blast and remains at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in critical condition, police said.