The funeral for a murdered mother in the western suburbs is slated for Saturday, while the police continue to scour evidence and hunt for her killer.
Andrea Urban, 51, died of blunt force trauma earlier this month, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Friends and family will gather to mourn the actress and cancer survivor at Hinsdale Covenant Church.
“We’ve lost that life among us and it’s hard,” said Rev. Paul Allen.
Officers responded to a home in the 700 block of Town Place about 3:37 p.m. after a 911 call was made from the residence Thursday, police said. The woman was later identified as Urban, a resident with two children who attend local schools, Hinsdale police Chief Kevin Simpson said at a press conference Thursday.
Mystery still surrounds the death of the divorced mother of two.
Mike Mier was friends with Urban for 30 years. He was questioned the day her body was found.
“I just was in her phone and they went through everybody in her telephone,” Mier said. “Two weeks, not a clue, we have no idea why this occurred and there needs to be resolution.”
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Police said Friday the crime scene had been fully processed and evidence from the scene was being secured, catalogued and analyzed.
Canvassing efforts were expected to last into the weekend, police said, and "scores of leads" have come into the Hinsdale police tip line.
Simpson continued to urger residents and potential witnesses to come forward with any information.
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“This case cannot be solved too soon. But it’s very important that we are being thorough, deliberate and thoughtful in everything we do on this case," he said. "As we complete our first full day of this investigation, our efforts are being guided by our desire to bring justice to Ms. Urban’s family, friends and our community.”
According to a November article in The Hinsdalean, one of the town's local newspapers, Urban was a cancer survivor and advocate for the use of medical marijuana. The newspaper reports that she made her own cannaboid oil in her kitchen. She also reportedly worked as a caterer in New York City in 2001 and fed emergency workers during 9/11.
An actress, the newspaper reports she "landed small roles" on "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Fire" and aspired to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Michigan.
During the conference Simpson declined to elaborate on multiple points of the investigation, including who found Urban's body, citing the "very early stages of this investigation."
“I understand that because this is such a rare occurrence in our town and in Hinsdale that many residents are rightfully asking questions and wondering what they can do,” Simpson said.
He urged residents to come forward if they have any information that might be related to the investigation. He also said police are canvasing the neighborhood and asking for neighbor who have surveillance footage or cameras in the area. The department also asked for help from the public on Facebook, calling the incident a "tragic homicide."
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The DuPage County state's attorney's office and Felony Investigative Assistance Team Major Crimes Unit were assisting Hinsdale police, according to a news release from the department.
“We recognize the magnitude of something like this in Hinsdale,” Simpson said. “I’d have to check records to see how far back when we’ve had an incident like this—but we’re not taking it lightly obviously—and we’ll try to provide as much information as we can as quickly as we can.”
Nothing at this point leads police to think the killing was a random act, Simpson said.
The Hinsdalean article says Urban was born and raised in Hinsdale and her parents and brother lived in the town as well.
Police vehicles could be seen near Town Place and Quincy roads and crime scene tape was surrounding the area around 4:40 p.m. A playground on the tree-lined street could be seen near the area cordoned off by yellow police tape.
Police ask that if anyone has information regarding the woman's death that they call the Hinsdale Police Department at 630-789-7070.
