Illinois Policeman Died of Apparent Suicide

A northern Illinois policeman killed by gunshots in early September, whose death sparked a massive manhunt for clues, died of an apparent suicide, the Chicago Tribune reported on Tuesday citing law enforcement sources.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office plans a news conference on Wednesday to discuss new items of "significant interest" concerning the results of its investigation into the death of Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz. It said in a news release it would not speak about the case until the news conference.

The newspaper said multiple law enforcement sources have said that the sheriff's office will announce that the death was a suicide.

A few weeks after the incident, authorities investigated the case as a homicide but did not rule out the possibility of suicide, Lake County Major Crime Task Force Commander George Filenko said.

The shooting drew hundreds of local, state and federal officers to search in and around Fox Lake, about 60 miles (100 kms) north of Chicago and near the Wisconsin border.

Gliniewicz was shot twice with his weapon, once in the right side of the front of his protective vest, which was severe enough to incapacitate him, and the other, believed to be the fatal wound, struck him in the upper left chest, authorities said.

Gliniewicz had told dispatchers he was pursuing suspects.