Lake in the Hills man found dead after house fire identified

A man who was found dead after firefighters responded to a house fire last week in Lake in the Hills has been identified as an Army veteran.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office identified Jack Murdock Sr., 76, of Lake in the Hills, as the man who was pronounced dead at the scene of a house fire on April 20.

The coroner’s office performed an autopsy Tuesday, but “no preliminary findings are available at this time,” according to a McHenry County Coroner news release. A toxicology report is pending.

According to his obituary, Murdock was “a proud veteran of the United States Army, a chapter of his life he held in great honor.” He held a long career in warehouse management and was a longtime resident of Carpentersville and East Dundee.

Murdock is remembered by his loved ones as a “die-hard Chicago Cubs fan,” father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother, according to the obituary.

First responders were called to the scene at about 1 p.m. April 20 by a relative who’d gone there to check on Murdock. Upon arrival, there was no sign of a fire from outside the home on Brittany Bend, but fire crews “identified significant fire damage” inside the single-story house and located the deceased male, according to a previous Huntley Fire Protection District news release.

The home was deemed uninhabitable because of the extent of the damage.

Officials said preliminary findings “indicate the incident does not appear to be suspicious in nature.” But it remains under investigation by the Huntley Fire Protection District with the State Fire Marshal, the McHenry County Coroner’s Office and the Lake in the Hills police.

A visitation for Murdock was held Saturday in West Dundee. In the obituary, his family requested donations to be made in Murdock’s name to NationalFireSafetyCouncil.org in lieu of flowers.