No Motive Yet in Fatal Shooting of Men in Stolen Car

JOLIET, IL — No motive has been established yet in a double murder in Joliet early Monday morning.

The deceased men have been identified as Clark Travis, Jr., 49, of Urbana, and Jonathan L. Fairley, 25, of Joliet.

Joliet Police Deputy Chief Al Roechner said a passerby found the men shot in a maroon 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe in an alley at around 2:09 a.m. Aug. 1. He would not confirm reports that they were shot in the head.

In mid-July, the body of 31-year-old Aurora resident Joseph M. Jaquez was found burnt beyond immediate recognition in the trunk of a car in Joliet Township. A single bullet to the head was the cause of death. Roechner was unable to say if there’s any known connection between the two incidents.

Police are going back two weeks to track down the men’s whereabouts leading up to their murder. There’s still no indication that their deaths were related to drugs or gangs, Roechner said.

The car the men were found in was reported stolen to the Will County Sheriff’s Office at 8:40 p.m. Sunday, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer. The woman who reported it was an acquaintance of Fairley, she said.

So far, not a lot of people have come forward with tips, Roechner said, and the relationship between the two men has not yet been identified.

Fairley has been charged with numerous crimes going back to 2013, including aggravated battery of a pregnant or handicapped person and residential burglary, according to court records.

If you have any information, contact the Joliet Police Department at 815-724-3026 or Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734.