A north suburban Lake Villa man killed his 9-year-old daughter before taking his own life, according to the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
At approximately 2:15 p.m. Thursday, officers with the Lake Villa Police Department were called to a home in the 100 block of Briar Ridge Lane to check on the well-being of a child. The mother of a 9-year-old called police to check on her daughter after the girl didn't show up for school, authorities said.
Investigators stated the child's mother and father lived separately, but shared custody of the girl. On Wednesday, the child's mother agreed to let the girl stay with her father overnight. When the girl didn't show up for school, the mother attempted to call the father, police added.
After not being able to get a hold of him, she requested authorities perform a well-being check.
As of late Thursday, the Lake County Coroner's Office was in the process of scheduling autopsies on both the child and father.
"This is an incredibly tragic set of circumstance and our deepest condolences go out to the family of the child," Lake Villa Police Chief Craig Somerville said in the news release. "I want to reassure the Lake Villa community that there is no evidence to suggest there is a threat to the public.”
The incident remains under investigation by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and Lake Villa Police Department.
