Outlaws Club At Center Of Katie Kearns Murder Probe: Police

JOLIET, IL - The Will County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Patch late Thursday afternoon that investigators have a person of interest in the murder of 24-year-old Joliet bartender Katie Kearns of rural Mokena. She suffered a single gunshot to her head, authorities revealed. The sheriff's department also confirmed there is an apparent connection between the young woman's disappearance and the Joliet Outlaws Motorcycle clubhouse.

"We are confirming that she had told four different people that she was heading to the Outlaws Clubhouse after her shift," Will County Sheriff's department spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer told Patch.

Kearns was found murdered inside of the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee that she was driving. Her vehicle was located in a rural area of Kankakee County near St. Anne's, which is southeast of Kankakee, about an hour's drive from Woody's or the Joliet Outlaws Clubhouse.

"It's out in the country," Hoffmeyer said of the crime scene.

By 10 a.m., the Will County Sheriff's Department SWAT team showed up in force at the Joliet Outlaws clubhouse and stormed into the place. "'They might have taken a car out of there as part of the investigation," she said.

At this stage, it appears the homicide investigation is coming together.

"We do have a person of interest," Hoffmeyer said. "No charges have been filed yet."

She said that Will County sheriff's investigators have been working nonstop on the investigation. "Several of them have not gone home since Wednesday morning," she told Patch shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday.

Hoffmeyer confirmed that at about 10 a.m., several hours after Kearns was found dead an hour southeast of Joliet, the Will County sheriff's police raided the Joliet Outlaws Motorcycle Club. The clubhouse is up the road from Woody's, also along East Washington Street. Several Joliet Patch readers noticed the raid and brought it the attention of Patch.

RELATED: Joliet Outlaws Flying Confederate Flag From Clubhouse

A family spokesman told Patch Wednesday night that police detectives had spoken with at least one member of the Joliet Outlaws club and that man apparently was being cooperative and helpful regarding the then-missing person's investigation of the 24-year-old bartender. Some Outlaws frequent Woody's Bar, where Kearns was last seen alive.

In its press release about the homicide, the sheriff's department emphasized that "detectives believe that there is no threat to the community and that (Katie) was the intended target of this homicide."

RELATED: Joliet Bar Not Out Looking For Missing Bartender

RELATED: Joliet Bartender Katie Kearns Goes Missing

Thursday's late morning announcement by Will County comes on the heels of a volunteer search effort that apparently was under way around the east side of Joliet in the hopes of finding Kearns and her missing Jeep. Confirmation on the tragic development caused some debate on the Joliet Patch Facebook page.

One person wrote, "I don't understand they were searching for her just a few hrs ago but was found around midnight last night don't u think the families would of known last night about this... Something don't make sense or is it just me."

But another person wrote back that "some groups don't stop searching until a positive ID is made. I've even heard some continue to search to try and draw out the (expletive) who did it. Very sad overall, hope her family is able to cope."

Will County sheriff's police ask that anyone who can help the homicide investigation call the investigations division at 815-727-8574, or the sheriff's dispatch center at 815-727-8575. People can also leave anonymous tips through the Crime Stoppers website.

We'll have an update on this case later today.

Watch Now: Joliet Bartender Katie Kearns Found Dead

Main image and secondary image of Joliet Outlaws motorcycle club submitted to Patch and used with permission.

Image of Katie Kearns submitted to Patch and used with permission.