The Lyons Police Department opened a homicide investigation Thursday after responding to a well-being check at a home where two brothers informed officers that the bodies of their mother and sister were buried in their backyard, according to authorities.
Police officers were called to the 3900 block of Center Avenue for a well-being check and discovered that two men, brothers in their late 40s and early 50s, were living in a home that "was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes and papers" and a number of other items.
Feces was "all over" the residence, and there were no working toilets, according to Ray Hanania, a communications consultant for the village of Lyons.
The brothers told police that their mother, who was in her late 70s, died in 2019 and "her death may have been an accident that involved" their sister, who died this past year. The brothers also informed officers they buried the bodies in their backyard rather than pay the costs, and because of fears related to the coronavirus, Hanania said. Several animals were also said to have been buried in the backyard.
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A forensic excavation is set to begin Friday morning in conjunction with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Both brothers were taken to the hospital, examined and released, according to officials. They remained in custody, but had yet to be charged as of Thursday night.
