Hanover Park murder probe continues
The killing of a 40-year-old woman found dead in her Hanover Park home last week remains under investigation as her husband, described by authorities as a “person of interest,” recovers from gunshot wounds suffered in a confrontation with officers, police said Sunday.
Hanover Park Deputy Police Chief Tom Cortese indicated charges were unlikely Sunday as investigators are still working the case “continually.”
“We are not yet in a position to charge anyone,” Cortese said.
Police conducting a well-being check Thursday morning discovered Jennifer Gustafson dead in her Barr Court home from blunt force trauma to the head, authorities said. Her husband, Jeffrey Ferrigan, was shot Thursday evening after a showdown with Lockport police, the U.S. marshal’s office, the Cook County sheriff’s police and the DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force on the 300 block of West 16th Street in Lockport.
Officers fired on Ferrigan, a 50-year-old construction worker, after he approached them in a threatening manner while armed with a knife, Lockport police said.
Ferrigan remained hospitalized Sunday at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, Cortese said. Information about his condition was not available.
The discovery of Gustafson’s body came a day after Ferrigan was released from the DuPage County jail on a domestic battery charge. Ferrigan, who has a long criminal history, was ordered to have no contact with Gustafson for 72 hours and to return to court Monday.
Court records show Gustafson was granted an emergency order of protection against Ferrigan on Aug. 22. Friends said she had recently voiced fears her husband would harm her and had taken to checking in with friends and co-workers each morning to let them know she was OK.
Gustafson is survived by a 14-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
Ferrigan, according to court records, had several previous run-ins with law enforcement. Both he and his wife faced charges earlier this year as a result of an investigation by the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group, a drug task force.
Gustafson was charged with possession of less than 30 grams of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia related to a plastic marijuana bong. On July 28, she pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to two years of probation.
Ferrigan was charged with bringing 10 pounds of marijuana, valued at about $52,000, into DuPage County for the purpose of distribution. His next court date in that matter is Sept. 1.
In 1988, Ferrigan, then living in Antioch, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in connection with a head-on collision that killed a female passenger and seriously injured the driver of another vehicle. Ferrigan, who was driving on a revoked license, also was charged with drunken driving.
Lake County court records show he was sentenced to 30 months’ probation and 18 months’ work release, but he violated the terms and was resentenced to four years in prison.
Ÿ Daily Herald staff writers Josh Stockinger and Tony Gordon contributed to this story.