Crime & Safety

Cops Confident of Murder Charge in Troy Beating Death

A drifter linked to the beating death of a funeral supply company employee remains in custody and is expected to be charged.

The drifter questioned in connection with the beating death of a funeral supply company employee near remains in custody and will likely face a murder charge by Monday at the latest.

"I know we're talking to the state's attorney's office," said Will County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Ken Kaupas. "We have plenty of information. I'm confident it will substantiate a murder charge."

The 42-year-old suspect was captured hiding in the weeds near Knauer Industries on the northeast frontage road of Interstate 55.

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The unidentified man beat to death James Shaughnessy, a 69-year-old Knauer Industries employee about 9 a.m., Kaupas said. He then scuffled with another employee who had just shown up for work as the suspect was making his getaway.

Numerous motorists on I-55 witnessed the fight between the surviving employee and the suspect outside the Knauer office and called police, Kaupas said.

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An ambulance was called for Shaughnessy but he died before it got there.

Kaupas said he was told the slain man was "bludgeoned to death."

Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil's office reported that Shaughnessy succumbed to blunt force trauma. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.

Prior to the fatal attack at the funeral supply company, the suspect, whom Kaupas said was described to him as an area drifter, tried to break into a residence in Saddlebrook Estates subdivision.

A resident of the Saddlebrook Estates home confronted the drifter and drove him off. He then headed to a Troy Township farm where he stole a pickup truck, Kaupas said. The truck was found abandoned near Knauer Industries.

Knauer Industries is a funeral solutions and supply company that specializes in Wilbert burial vaults, Wilbert cremation urns, Trigard burial vaults and more. The company also offers burial vault personalization and cremation mementos.

Updated at 6:35 p.m. with Patrick Shaughnessy's identity and apparent cause of death.


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