A man and woman were found dead inside a home in Will County in an apparent murder-suicide, police said Saturday.
According to the Will County Sheriff’s office, deputies discovered the bodies of 54-year-old Patrick Jesernik and 59-year-old Cheryl Schriefer inside a residence in the 400 block of Spruce Road in Lockport Township after responding to a welfare check Thursday evening.
Police said they were contacted by Jesernik’s parents, who requested the check because they had not heard from him.
According to family members, Jesernik had been scared that he and Schriefer had contracted COVID-19 and that Schriefer reportedly was having a hard time breathing, police said.
An autopsy later revealed that both Jesernik and Schriefer died of gunshot wounds to the head, police said. The autopsy also found both tested negative for COVID-19.
Investigators determined Jesernik shot Schriefer before turning the gun on himself, police said. Police said they had not been called to the residence previously for a domestic dispute.
Will County authorities have said the vast majority of calls since the coronavirus pandemic began have involved domestic disputes and crisis interventions.
Police are reminding residents the Will County Courthouse remains open for anyone seeking an order or protection. Anyone seeking information regarding domestic violence can call the sheriff’s social worker, Bonnie McPhillips, at 815-724-1878.
