One year later - no Feldkamp investigation?

One year ago, on June 7, 2011, three deaths occurred in the home of Jack and Audrey Feldkamp, on Somerset Drive in McHenry County near Marengo. Jack Feldkamp, 83, and Audrey Feldkamp, 81, died of knife wounds. Doran Bloom, 27, died of gunshot wounds.

Bloom was shot by Scott Feldkamp, then 54, son of Jack and Audrey Feldkamp, who had been living in his parents' home since about February 15 and who told deputies that Bloom had stabbed the senior Feldkamps and him, after which he ran upstairs to retrieve his handgun, with which he shot Bloom from the second-floor balcony.

On the very next day, less than 24 hours after the McHenry County Sheriff's Department received the first 9-1-1 call, Sheriff Keith Nygren held a press conference and announced, in effect, Case Closed. Archived newspaper accounts at the Northwest Herald contain Nygren's comments at the press conference, where he released information that should have been held in confidence while an investigation was conducted.

Was there an investigation? In my opinion, no. There was no investigation made. Reports were written; manpower was expended. But was there an investigation? Did anyone really analyze what happened? Was there a re-enactment? Did anyone question the MIAT wasn't activated?

Had there been, would investigators have come to a different conclusion about the events of June 7? It would have been a career-defining moment to say, "Hey, wait a minute. It didn't happen that way." Possibly, a career-ending moment...

The file contains 260+ pages available through the Freedom of Information Act and hundreds of images photographed at the house.

Almost anyone, expert or novice, law-enforcement or not, would ask many questions. "What about this?" "What about that?" "Where is ___?"

Nygren must have relied solely on information gathered by deputies in the first 15 hours after the deaths. A significant piece of the information had to be telephoned to him from Sherman Hospital, Elgin, immediately before the press conference. Without investigation, confirmation or verification, he made his statement and voiced his opinion, officially, to media gathered at the McHenry County Government Center. (Publishers of the McHenry County Blog and First Electric Newspaper and I were prevented from attending that press conference.)

Are there questions about what happened in the Feldkamp home on that Tuesday evening? Are there many questions? Absolutely, starting with why there wasn't any investigation!

The reports are silent about the existence of any Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification Card, which is required of every person in the State of Illinois to possess a firearm or ammunition. Why would MCSD detectives overlook that? Scott Feldkamp apparently had a concealed carry permit in Florida and was known, according to information provided to me, to carry a gun.

I've also been told that Mrs. Feldkamp did not like guns and did not want one in her house.

The estates of Jack Feldkamp and Audrey Feldkamp are in probate now. Where's the Executor? It is believed he is not even in the State of Illinois any longer. What has happened to the assets of the estates? Are they all accounted for and preserved in Illinois? Why did the attorneys for the Executor withdraw on August 30, 2011, complaining about "lack of communication and cooperation" with their client? If the Executor is now outside the State of Illinois, does the probate judge, now Hon. Michael J. Chmiel, have any authority or jurisdiction over him?

Why hasn't the Executor retained an attorney to advise him on the complicated estate settlement procedures? And, if he has, why hasn't that attorney filed an Appearance?

A break-in at the Feldkamp house was reported on May 24 and is being investigated by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. The break-in, thought to have occurred between May 17-24, was reported by an attorney who is identified in the MCSD report as the "attorney for the executor of the estate". The only problem is that there is no attorney for the executor of the estate. He is the attorney for the executor in a foreclosure matter on the residence, but apparently not "of the estate".

An earlier, sticky matter was left hanging on August 30, when Woodstock Attorney Mark Gummerson appeared before Judge Sullivan and told him that he represented Jackie Feldkamp, daughter of the deceased couple. When Judge Sullivan said there was no Appearance in the file, Gummerson said that he had filed one or, if he hadn't, he would. He had not filed one, and he has never filed one as representing Jackie. How do you clean that up with a judge? In fact, with the Chief Judge?