Authorities: Suspected Ohio serial killer charged with 1997 Lake County murder

A man police describe as a suspected serial killer - currently behind bars in Ohio on murder and rape charges - has been charged with first-degree murder by Lake County authorities in the 1997 killing of Julie Konkol.

A Lake County judge Wednesday approved the arrest warrant for Samuel William Legg III and set bail at $3 million.

Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli said Legg, now 52, is the subject of several other investigations. Legg was living in Arizona when Ohio authorities apprehended him in January 2019 and charged him with a 1992 homicide and a 1997 rape of a 17-year-old girl.

Authorities said Wednesday that DNA evidence ties Legg to Konkol's murder. Her body was found behind an abandoned truck stop on Old Route 41 in Russell. An autopsy attributed her death to homicide by asphyxiation caused by manual strangulation.

At the time of Konkol's murder, Legg was a truck driver primarily working in the Midwest and living in Ohio.

Covelli said Lake County detectives went to Ohio to interview Legg. Covelli said he could not comment on what Legg told investigators because of the ongoing investigation.

Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said the new charges against Legg are a great example of what can happen when law enforcement agencies work together.

"This case has been a dark cloud hanging over Lake County for nearly 25 years," Nerheim said in a written statement. "But, through the gallant effort and tenacity of numerous law enforcement agencies and people involved, a murderer will finally answer for his crime."

Legg is being held in the Medina County Jail in Ohio. He will eventually face extradition to Lake County on the murder charge.

Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said his office was thankful to be able to take the first steps in providing justice to Julie Konkol, who was from southern Wisconsin, and her family.

"Even if investigative leads on a case begin to go cold, we will never allow a victim's case to collect dust on a shelf, our Cold Case Unit regularly looks at them in our relentless pursuit of justice for victims," Idleburg said in the statement.