Authorities: Man offered 7 different accounts of how his wife was fatally injured
An Elk Grove Village man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of his wife more than a month ago was ordered held Wednesday on $1 million bail.
Timothy J. Zondlo, 53, of the 900 block of Huntington Drive, was arrested by Elk Grove police Tuesday — the culmination of weeks of investigation and interviews after the Oct. 8 death of 46-year-old Karyn M. Zondlo.
After first being told Karyn suffered a head injury when she fell while cleaning, investigators later determined she was pushed off a two-step ladder by her husband, who then struck her on the head with his hand, a Cook County prosecutor said Wednesday.
Timothy Zondlo ultimately offered at least seven different accounts of how his wife was injured, Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin said. These ranged from an unexpected collapse to multiple versions of having struck her head during a fall, she said.
First responders were called to the Zondlo home at 2:50 p.m. that Sunday afternoon. They found Karyn Zondlo on the living room floor partially conscious and breathing shallowly, police said. She was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center and treated initially for a stroke, but she died the next day.
After an autopsy, the Cook County medical examiner's office said she had a bleed on her brain that could have been natural or trauma-related, and further testing was required.
Elk Grove police said investigators spent the ensuing weeks interviewing witnesses, neighbors, family members, medical staff members and Karyn Zondlo's co-workers. The medical examiner later reported she suffered brain trauma that was not natural, according to police.
The Zondlos' 15- and 11-year-old sons who were witnesses at first supported their father's version of events, but they later stated they had seen their father strike their mother and attested to a history of abuse, Amado-Chevlin said. They said they had been ordered by their father to lie about what they'd seen, she said.
Karyn Zondlo's sister, Sheryl Gaynor of Elmhurst, said she immediately suspected some type of foul play in her sister's death, adding that the couple had a sometimes turbulent relationship.
“We knew (Timothy Zondlo) had an awful temper but never suspected he would hurt Karyn or the boys,” Gaynor said.
The couple's sons are now staying with a paternal aunt and uncle, whom Gaynor and her husband described as good people they implicitly trust with the boys' welfare.
A GoFundMe account was set up by Timothy Zondlo Oct. 16 “to assist with the unexpected expenses related to Karyn's passing and for (their two sons') current situation as well as their future,” according to the GoFundMe page. With an established goal to raise $100,000, the page garnered $1,327 in donations from 17 people.
According to the GoFundMe page, the couple had been married 17 years. Gaynor said they met at Harper College, possibly through a club for deaf students such as themselves.
The webpage also says a family benefit fund was established at Itasca Bank and Trust, where checks could be made directly to Timothy Zondlo.
A memorial Mass for Karyn Zondlo is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, at St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center, 8033 W. Addison St. in Chicago. Interment is private.
If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Timothy Zondlo could face 3 to 14 years in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18.