Police in Will County believe a man found dead in his home earlier this week was the victim of a homicide.
Alfred Hilton, 85, was found inside his home on the 3200 block of East Bemes Road, in Crete Township, by a friend who went to check on him after the church regular didn't show up for a meeting, according to Will County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Ken Kaupus.
"He went to a little church that had a free meal, I think it was on Tuesday and he didn't show up, so I think they called the police to do a wellness check and that was how they found him," neighbor Al Sebolt said.
"The motive for this homicide appears to be a robbery that went terribly wrong," he said. "Several items were obviously missing from the house."
Walter Alexander can't believe his neighbor met such a violent end.
"To live that long and then lose your life that way, we all know we can lose our lives in accident, sickness, but to think his life ended like that is unreal," Alexander said.
No one was in custody Friday but Kaupus said the investigation was "very active."
Anyone with information should contact detectives at 815-727-8574 or leave an anonymous tip on the department's website at www.willcosheriff.org.
