Deaths of Oak Park married attorneys found in home ruled homicides by stabbing

OAK PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- The deaths of a husband and wife found inside a home in west suburban Oak Park Monday night have been ruled homicides, the Cook County Medical Examiner said.

Autopsies of Leslie Ann Jones, 67, and her husband Thomas E. Johnson, 70 found they died from "multiple sharp force injuries," or stabbing. Both deaths were ruled a homicide.

The couple were both well-known attorneys at the same law firm. Neighbors said they lived in the home on Fair Oaks Avenue for more than 20 years and were well-known in the community.

Police found the couple dead in their home while responding to a call for a well-being check in the 500-block of Fair Oaks Avenue near the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

A preliminary investigation indicated the deaths were under suspicious circumstances, police said.

Police said there is no reason to believe the greater community is at risk, but have not said how they believe the couple died.

The couple were both Harvard Law School graduates. They had grown children and grandchildren.

Dan Herbert, a prominent Chicago attorney, first met Johnson while he was a hearing officer for the Chicago Police Board. He said the couple left a lasting impact on all they met.

"For the span of a few years, it would be every weekend I would meet someone whose life was changed, and who was saved by Tom Johnson and his wife," Herbert said.

The West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is investigating.