Elgin police ID bodies; investigation continues

Details still are emerging in the case of two bodies found Wednesday evening at an Elgin apartment complex.

Roberta Brunke, 47, homeless of Elgin, and Eric Grata, 30, of Glendale Heights and formerly of Elgin, were found unresponsive in a second-floor unit on the 1500 block of Mildred Ave.

Neighbors say the pair were found by a homeless man in search of a place to stay for the night.

Kane County coroner's officials performed autopsies Thursday, but said the results were inconclusive, pending toxicology tests.

Grata's girlfriend, Mary Rail, was at the apartment complex Wednesday as police were investigating.

Rail said that she and Grata got into a fight Tuesday night, and that he drove off in the couple's van.

She then received a call from her brother-in-law Wednesday. He said the van was at the apartment complex on Mildred, Rail said.

When she arrived, police were looking into what turned out to be her boyfriend's death.

Police say they still are investigating.

Elgin police spokeswoman Ann Dinges said police first went to the apartment about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, and had to shoot a dog that was guarding the entrance.

During the investigation, police called in the 73-year-old owner of the six-unit apartment complex.

The owner, who asked that his name not be used, said he had evicted Brunke from the apartment about four or five months ago, but that she continued to come back.

He said her death was a shame.

James Ferguson, a resident in a neighboring apartment who knew Brunke, agreed.

"I just hate to see people lose their life like that, man," Ferguson said.