Individuals in Video Surveillance Not Suspected of Killing Lt. Gliniewicz: Police

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Three individuals identified in a video surveillance obtained by police last week are not suspected of killing Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, authorities said Tuesday.

“We have located those individuals through our investigative process, interviewed those individuals and have confirmed at this point they are not involved,” George Filenko, commander of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.

The FBI analyzed various videos taken near the crime scene and within the time frame of Gliniewicz’s death and identified three men who matched the vague description provided by Gliniewicz shortly before 8 a.m. on Sept. 1. Gliniewicz said he was pursuing two white men and one black male. When backup officers arrived, Gliniewicz was found shot dead.

Police identified the three individuals, interviewed them and also received physical evidence, including receipts, that lead police to rule them out as suspects in Gliniewicz’s death, Fienko said.

Meanwhile, authorities continue to search for three killers in the case. Authorities continue to believe Gliniewicz was killed and did not die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“We are proceeding as if this were a homicide,” Fienko said. As has been the case in the past week, he would not reveal details surrounding Gliniewicz’s autopsy.

So far, authorities investigating Gliniewicz’s death have addressed over 180 leads from sources walking into or calling the police department and from the FBI tip line. They have interviewed 50 individuals who have also provided DNA swabs.

DNA was found at the crime scene from an “unknown donor,” Fienko said Tuesday. That DNA is being analyzed at the Northern Illinois Crime Lab. He would not provide anymore details on where exactly the DNA was located or what type of DNA evidence authorities had found.

Meanwhile, investigators were out Tuesday canvassing the area and re-interviewing home and business owners. They are hoping to find more video.

“At this point, we have no other video that is relevant to the investigation,” Fienko said.

Authorities continue to believe the suspects are “hiding in place” and are from the area.

“It’s almost the type of area (where Gliniewicz was shot) that you would have to be famliiar with it to find it,” he said. “So, that is what has us believing these are local individuals.”