By John Gregory/Illinois Radio Network
FOX LAKE – The death of an Illinois police officer which sparked a large manhunt has now been ruled a suicide.
Fox Lake police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz carefully staged his death to make it look a homicide, according to George Filenko, commander of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. Filenko says it looks like Gliniewicz was stealing and laundering money from the police department for years to pay for personal expenses, and took his own life due to fears of his crimes being discovered.
“There are no winners here,” Filenko said. “Gliniewicz committed the ultimate betrayal to the citizens he served and the entire law enforcement community. The facts of his actions prove he behaved for years in a manner completely contrary to the image he portrayed.”
Gliniewicz was a leader in the department’s program which mentors young people interested in law enforcement careers. Filenko says it looks like Gliniewicz stole money from the program for seven years, using it for everything from mortgage payments to memberships on adult websites.
After Gliniewicz’s death on September 1st, more than 400 law enforcement officers searched through the Fox Lake area looking for suspects in the shooting.
