Detectives look for motive in suspect's relationships

Throughout most of her second day of questioning about the 2007 murders of Rhoni Reuter and her unborn daughter, Marni Yang had talked to police about her relationships with men.

Although it is never said on the early 2008 videotape of Yang's questioning shown Tuesday in a Lake County courtroom, the relationship that detectives from the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force are most interested in was with Shaun Gayle.

Gayle, a former safety for the Chicago Bears, was the father of Reuter's daughter and police said after charging Yang with the slayings in 2009 that she was jealous of the relationship Gayle had with the victim.

Following Yang's arrest, Gayle released a statement saying he had been partners with Yang in several business deals but the two were never romantically involved.

Yang, who had been held for three days in early 2008 before being released without being charged, tells the detectives a different story. She said she and Gayle had an on-again, off-again physical relationship that she at times found frustrating.

She said Gayle manipulated her by appearing interested in her at times, only to become indifferent when she attempted to return the affection.

As detectives try to direct the conversation toward the slayings, Yang brings up another man she was involved with in the past.

Yang suggests to the officers it could be that man who killed Reuter, knowing somehow the police would suspect her and she could be charged with the crime.

Yang tells the detectives the man held a grudge against her because he believed Yang was responsible for him losing his job and had threatened to destroy her.

Prosecutors said after the hearing the man Yang was pointing the finger at was completely investigated and had nothing to do with the crime.

Although Yang did not admit she had anything to do with Reuter's death while being questioned, she was arrested more than a year later after police secretly tape-recorded her discussing the killings with a friend.