Former police officer resentenced for wife’s murder in Spring Grove

A former Chicago police officer who had argued his attorney was ineffective when he was convicted of killing his wife in their Spring Grove home was resentenced Thursday to 50 years in prison.

Lorin Volberding, 78, had already been serving a 50-year prison sentence for the 2020 first-degree murder conviction stemming from the killing of his wife, Elizabeth Volberding. Also a former Chicago police officer, she was shot to death Feb. 3, 2017, her 68th birthday.

Following an appeal, a court ordered a new sentencing hearing, at which Volberding’s new attorney cited his client’s age and multiple health conditions in asking for the minimum 20-year sentence.

Defense lawyer Jed Stone said Volberding had no criminal history prior to his wife’s death and was a Chicago police officer for 30 years who served with “honor and dignity.” He saw “acts of violence daily” in his career, from which he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder, Stone said.

Volberding also has had cancer, coronary heart disease and hypertension and has had seizures, his attorney said.

“I believe 20 years to a man in his condition is more than enough to meet the constitutional standard and not be cruel and unusual,” Stone said.

Assistant McHenry County State’s Attorney Ashley Romito read statement’s from Elizabeth Volberding’s two children asking for the maximum sentence. Her daughter, Jennifer Tison, referred to statements revealed during trial that were difficult to hear, including Lorin Volberding telling detectives, “She got what she deserved” and “Everyone should be shot on their birthday.”

Her daughter said she witnessed “years of an abusive cycle,” and her mother lying about it “to avoid his wrath.” Both of Elizabeth Volberding’s children said it put a strain on their relationships with their mother.

“I love and miss my mother so much,” Tison said.

Elizabeth’s son, Bryan Bahles, said Volberding kept his mother “hostage in her own house. … It was never if he would do something (to Elizabeth), but when.”

According to Romito, Lorin Volberding called a neighbor on the day of the murder and admitted to shooting his wife. She also said that during a two-hour interview with police, Volberding said: “I shot her right in the (expletive) head. She threw knives at me was egging me on telling me to shoot her, so I (expletive) did.”

Volberding also spoke Thursday’s hearing, calling prosecutors’ arguments “a bunch of baloney” and “totally out of bounds.”

“As far as being abusive toward anybody, I never hit anybody,” Volberding said. “No, I didn’t shoot my wife. She reached up and her thumb slipped and the gun went off. I didn’t think I did anything wrong. I’m kinda getting a little sick and tired of getting blamed for other people’s actions.”