Man found shot to death in car near Baseline Road in Elwood ID'd, police say

ELWOOD, Ill. (WLS) -- The man who was found shot to death in a car Friday in southwest suburban Will County has been identified.

Robert Bigger, 30, of Shorewood was found dead inside a car with the windows shot out Friday morning along Baseline Road in Elwood, according to Elwood police.

"He could have been leaving work, but that's something investigators are exploring as a possibility," Elwood Police Chief Fred Hayes said.

Hayes confirmed they are conducting a homicide investigation, and the Will-Grundy County Major Crimes Task Force is assisting, officials said.

As the investigation continues, authorities are asking for the public's help to find the gunman responsible for killing the man.

The gruesome discovery was made around 4:40 a.m. after officers responded to a call about a motorist in distress or a suspicious vehicle near the Centerpoint Intermodal Center.

"He found a deceased male in the driver seat of the vehicle. It was very apparent to the officer that the individual had been shot multiple times," Chief Hayes added.

The location is in a Will County village that has a population of a few thousand.

Officials said the area sees around 17,000 trucks daily and roughly 10,000 people work in the area.

"This particular roadway is normally only accessed by workers in the industrial park or trucks that are coming and going to the industrial park," Chief Hayes said.

The area of Baseline, from Arsenal to Noel Road, remained shut down for hours as investigators looked for clues.

While police haven't pinpointed a motive, they did say Bigger appeared to have been driving his Chevy Impala south on Baseline Road when he was attacked.

The murder is the first homicide in the town, located roughly 50 miles outside of Chicago, since 2009, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Elwood Police at (815) 423-5411 or anonymously at Will County Crime Stoppers.