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An Illinois man suspected of hiding the deaths of his mother and sister for nearly a year after their bodies were found buried in the backyard of their cluttered feces and urine-filled home has been arrested on felony charges, according to police.
Lyons Police Chief Thomas Herion announced Thursday that Michael Lelko — of Lyons, a suburb of Chicago — will be charged with two felony counts of concealment of a death. He also said a federal investigation also is ongoing that could lead to federal charges connected to his alleged cashing of his mother’s monthly $1,000 Social Security checks for years after she died.
The police chief said Lelko, 45, was not charged in the deaths of 79-year-old Jean Lelko and 44-year-old Jennifer Lelko, because the medical examiner could not identify how either one died.
Herion said Michael Lelko’s 41-year-old brother is being investigated, but as of Thursday afternoon, he had not been charged. Both were in custody and Herion said if John Lelko was not charged within 48 hours he would be released.
Herion said John Lelko could face obstruction charges because he initially told police that his mother and sister were alive and living elsewhere, despite knowing the pair were both dead.
The charges mark the latest chapter in the bizarre story that began with a check of the house, located in the community of Lyons, about 14 miles from Chicago, after it was determined there was no running water at the home.
In the house, there were no operable toilets, and several bags of urine and feces were found inside, Herion said. He also said items such as Star Wars toys were stacked up to the ceiling at the time the bodies were found, and the home was so cluttered that the brothers exited and entered it by climbing through windows.
“The doors were barricaded with debris,” Herion said, according to CNN. “I could see fleas and bugs and piles from floor to ceiling, and I can smell urine and feces.”
“Officers attempted to enter the residence, but entranceways were almost completely blocked with boxes and detritus,” court documents reportedly showed. “Due to [the] deplorable condition of the residence, officers were only able to get inside the residence through a window.”
The arrest and charges come about eight months after police in August discovered the bodies in the backyard during a well-being check at the home. Both bodies had been buried in plastic tubs that had been sealed with duct tape.
Herion said Michael Lelko told police that his mother had died in 2015 after his sister pushed her down the stairs, and that he buried his sister in the yard in 2019 after she became ill and died. He said Lelko claimed his sister had died of COVID-19, despite the first COVID-19 case in Illinois not being found until February 2020.
“When I interviewed Michael, he admitted that he buried his mother and his sister in the yard,” Herion said. “John did not give any statements pertaining to whether he participated in that.”
Herion said charges were not filed for several months because the bodies were not positively identified until this year. Both men were taken into custody when the bodies were found but were released without being charged.
With Post wires
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