Manhunt Continues For Killers Of Illinois Officer While Nanny Is Arrested For False Report

The manhunt continues for the killers of a much loved and respected officer, 30-year-veteran Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz. The officer from Fox Lake was a married father of four boys and nicknamed “G.I. Joe,” for his toughness and professionalism. The police are searching for two white men and one black man who Gliniewicz described shortly before his death. He was found lying in a marshy area, stripped of his weapon and pepper spray. The weapon was later found. In another development, a woman has been charged with giving police a false report that may have cost them precious time and manpower in looking for the murderers of Gliniewicz.

Gliniewicz radioed to dispatch before 8 a.m. that morning that he was chasing three male suspects engaged in suspicious activity. There may be a deer camera videotape of the three males being reviewed today by police.

Helicopters, canine units, SWAT teams, and an army of state and federal officers have been deployed. However, they were sent in the wrong possible direction by Kristin Kiefer, 30, who has been charged with disorderly conduct and falsifying a police report.

Heifer called at approximately 9:20 p.m. from Volo, about 5 miles south of Fox Lake, to say that she had pulled over to the side of the road with car trouble when she saw two men, one white and one black, near a cornfield. She claimed they tried to get into her car, but that the men fled because they feared she was going to call the police. That is a major lead and led to a heavy deployment of resources at a critical time. Some 85 federal, state and local law enforcement officials, 11 police dogs and three air support units were redeployed. Kiefer continued to maintain that her account was true but eventually admitted that she lied to seek attention from a family that employs her as a nanny. The location was close to the family’s house.

It is truly a bizarre rationale for such a terrible and costly hoax. This was not some kid but an adult woman who seemed to care little about the impact of her actions on this community. In terms of hoax reports, this one would rank among the most serious and is likely to bring a very serious penalty.

In the meantime, citizens mourn the loss of this officer. His widow, Melanie Gliniewicz, and her four sons joined a memorial and said “My world got a little bit smaller with his passing, and he will truly be missed by all of us.” She added that he was my “best friend, my hero, the love of my life for the last 26 and half years.”