'Very emotional for everyone': On anniversary, Buffalo Grove chief recalls family murders
A little more than three weeks after becoming top cop in Buffalo Grove, Brian Budds and his department were thrust into the national spotlight on the morning of Nov. 30, 2022.
A well-being check at a home on Acacia Terrace brought the discovery of something the new police chief could only describe as "horrific" - the slain bodies of a woman, her two young daughters and her mother-in-law by her estranged husband, who then took his own life.
Budds, who worked many major investigations during his 25-year law enforcement career in Western Springs, soon would realize none could compare to the magnitude of what he and his officers were about to face.
"Even one year later, it's difficult for me to find the words to describe what and how I was feeling that day," Budds told the Daily Herald. "But it was a reminder that any given police department on any given day is one call away from encountering a terrible incident like this."
On the anniversary of the killings, Budds recounted a day he calls surreal and emotional, while praising the focus and professionalism of first responding officers, detectives and evidence technicians who worked to process the scene.
He also backed the way police handled domestic-related calls for service to the Kisliak home over the years, and backed his department's policies and procedures for how officers and support staff respond to domestic-related situations.
Police formally closed their investigation in March, concluding that Andrei Kisliak, 39, fatally stabbed his wife, Vera, 36, daughters Vivian, 7, and Amilia, 4, and his 67-year-old mother, Lilia Kisliak. All five suffered fatal "sharp force" injuries, authorities said.
"It was a surrealistic experience that was very emotional for everyone," Budds said of the initial police response. "However, there was little time for police personnel to process our own thoughts as we needed to remain resolute during the critical initial phases of the investigation."
In December and January, police released a series of reports and 911 calls detailing how problems in Andrei and Vera Kisliak's marriage escalated in the months leading up to the murders.
Officers responded to 14 domestic-related calls involving the Kisliak family - most of which were made by Vera, records show. On six occasions, police responses ended with referrals to social services or other relevant agencies.
Police advised Vera in 2018 to pursue or consider a divorce, and in August 2022, they advised her to consider or obtain an order of protection. A police social worker also was working with Vera and her daughters.
Andrei was arrested in late September 2022 on allegations he had violated an order of protection obtained by his wife. But at the couple's request, a Lake County judge on Nov. 1, 2022, agreed to modify Vera's order of protection to allow her husband to move back to the family home.
A family friend told the Daily Herald last year that Vera wanted to be sure her husband could continue seeing their daughters, but she also expressed ongoing fear for her safety.
Budds said following a comprehensive internal case review, he confidently concluded that "nothing more could have been done," and each police response and subsequent officer action was appropriate.
He also said any substantive modification to the way the department responds to such situations aren't needed, but added that officials periodically evaluate all policies and make appropriate revisions as needed or required.
An online fundraiser collected more than $71,000 for the mother and daughters' funeral expenses overseas, and to help organize a memorial service held in Buffalo Grove last December.
• Daily Herald staff writer Steve Zalusky contributed to this report.