The Staged Suicide Illinois Cop Story Just Got WAY Weirder

Rachel Stoltzfoos

The story of the Illinois cop who appears to have staged his suicide to look like a homicide keeps getting weirder.

The September death of Fox Lake Police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz from a gunshot wound to the chest left many calling him a hero and sparked a massive manhunt for the killers. Gliniewicz had radioed in that he was pursuing three suspects just before he took two gunshots to the torso, one to his vest and one to the upper chest. Hundreds of local and federal law enforcement sought the killers but further investigation led authorities to say the death was a “carefully staged suicide.”

But strange details have continued to trickle out as investigators dig deeper.

Authorities are investigating whether Gliniewicz arranged for his son Donald to marry the now deceased officer’s mistress to scam the Army out of benefits, The Chicago Sun Times reports. Joe allegedly arranged a sham marriage where Donald married Joe’s mistress while he was in the Army so Donald and the mistress could split about $1,750 a month in military benefits. The marriage reportedly lasted a year.

On top of that, investigators also say that Gliniewicz tried to hire a hitman to kill Anne Marrin, a town official who found that Gliniewicz had been embezzling money for years. Authorities say he planned to plant something on her to discredit her and then have her killed.

“It’s very unsettling,” Marrin told the Associated Press. My concern is my family. It’s quite unbelievable and almost surreal.”

Officials found cocaine in Gliniewicz’ desk after his death. Gliniewicz was under investigation for allegedly stealing and laundering money for seven years. A police investigation found that he sent a text message saying, “If she gets ahold of the old checking account, im pretty well fucked.”

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