Investigators in Lynwood say they received a call Monday morning that a woman had been kidnapped before they discovered the man's body.
Relatives of Eugene White Jr. and his wife were in and out of the Lynwood police station all afternoon Monday. The Whites were married for 15 years. Police say they are aggressively pursuing every lead.
"He was a churchgoing guy," said neighbor Ken Armstrong. "He worked at the Ford plant...He's a good guy."
That is what neighbors were saying Monday of 56-year-old Eugene White Jr,, who was found shot to death inside his Lynwood home early Monday morning.
"At approximately 3 a.m. we received call from Cook County Sheriff. There was a female in Chicago Heights that claimed she was kidnapped and car set on fire," said Lynwood Police Chief Michael Maers.
White's wife, who told police she was sexually assaulted, was taken to St. James Hospital. She later spent several hours at the police station being debriefed, but her attorney says she is now resting with relatives.
"She's grief stricken," said family attorney John Lyke. "She just suffered a very severe loss under very tragic and heinous circumstances. She was a victim as well."
The South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force has joined the investigation, which Lynwood police say is still in its infancy. They do say, however, they believe they are looking for a single individual who appears to have specifically targeted the Whites, though it is not clear why.
"I want to stress to the residents of Lynwood that this appears to be an isolated incident," said Maers.
Police say Mrs. White has been cooperating fully. They have made it clear, as the only living witness, any information she can provide them with will be crucial to the investigation.
