Police: Stepson killed 52-year-old woman
A 26-year-old Fox River Grove man was behind bars in the McHenry County jail late Thursday, facing charges he used a hammer to beat his stepmother to death inside the family home.
Martin R. Green faces two counts of first-degree murder alleging he killed Patricia L. McNamara, who was found dead inside their residence on Gladys Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday.
McNamara, 52, died as a result of blunt trauma, police said. A hammer believed to be the murder weapon was recovered at the scene, Fox River Grove Police Chief Ron Lukasik said.
Green fled the home after the killing and jumped into the nearby Fox River, law enforcement sources said. He later got out of the river with the help of neighbors and was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington for treatment.
Authorities transferred him to the jail later Thursday, where he will remain pending his appearance in bond court Saturday morning. First-degree murder normally is punishable by 20 to 60 years in prison, but a longer term is possible if a jury declares the slaying heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty.
Before Thursday Green had little serious criminal history in McHenry County, court records indicate. Besides numerous traffic citations, records show he was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence in May 2008. He later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving and received court supervision.
He was cited three times in 2000 and 2001 for possession of alcohol by a minor, receiving court supervision on two occasions. And in September he filed legal documents asking to change his name to Martin G. Schumacher, but his petition was dismissed about a month later when he failed to follow up in court.
Police arrived at the family home about 8:12 a.m. Thursday and cordoned off half the street while investigators went door-to-door speaking with neighbors. One neighbor, Ramona Ivashchenko, said McNamara's family was living on the block when she moved in across the street about 10 years ago.
"They're a real nice family," she said. "This is a surprise because Fox River Grove ... it's really a nice neighborhood."
The McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team is assisting Fox River Grove with the investigation, along with the McHenry County sheriff's office, the McHenry County coroner and the McHenry County state's attorney.
Lukasik said Thursday night the investigation remains ongoing, though sources indicated police suspect no one other than Green. The slaying is believed to be the first in Fox River Grove history.
It is the second time in the northern Fox Valley this week that authorities have charged a family member with a parent figure's slaying. David Szalonek, 16, faces two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting Monday night of his father, Brian Szalonek, in the family's Algonquin home.