Joliet House Party Homicide: Neighbor Not Surprised By Killing

JOLIET, IL — For the second time in less than a week, the Will County Sheriff's Office is investigating a homicide in Joliet Township on the city's east side. The overnight killing happened after a group of friends and family attended a party, authorities said.

The Will County Coroner's Office of Laurie Summers announced that 26-year-old Joliet resident Leelinn Fox died at 4 a.m. at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

Around 1:30 a.m., Will County Sheriff's deputies learned of several gunshots fired in the 1500 block of Maple Road near the Briggs Street intersection. Deputies found Fox bleeding from his head from gunshot wounds. The East Joliet Fire Department rushed Fox to the hospital, where he died.

"It was reported to deputies on scene that there was a party being held at the house, that consisted of only friends and family," the Will County Sheriff's Office announced. "Furthermore, there were approximately 20 to 25 people attending the party. However, when deputies first arrived at scene, there were only five individuals remaining at the residence."

On Friday morning, one of the long-time neighbors told Joliet Patch's editor that the overwhelming majority of homes in the neighborhood are owner-occupied, but the house on Maple Road where the slaying happened has become a rental unit in recent years.

The neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said the house on Maple Road constantly has house parties and there's been numerous occasions where he's called the Will County Sheriff's Office to make a noise complaint.

He said there have been fights in the middle of the night, at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. that take place right in the middle of the Maple Road, as problems from the house party spill out into the road.

Other times, he said, he's been awoken by the loud booming music that makes his house shake.

The neighbor told Joliet Patch he was not surprised to learn that a house party at the dwelling on Maple Road led to someone's violent death.

"This investigation remains in its early stages as people who were at the scene are being uncooperative," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer notified Joliet Patch shortly before 4 p.m. Friday. "Sheriff’s detectives have been working the case non-stop and will continue to do so over the weekend and in the following days in an attempt to solve the case."

Last Saturday night, sheriff's detectives investigated the deadly shooting of Todd N. Taylor, 42. He was shot four times in his upper body as he sat in a parked car in the 100 block of Oscar Avenue, close to Gardner Street, on Joliet's southeast side.

No arrests have been made in connection with Taylor's slaying.

Also, on Thursday evening, Joliet police learned of a non-fatal shooting in the parking lot of the Tezak Funeral Home on Joliet's west side, along Plainfield Road.