DNA-Inspired Sketches Released In 2016 Double Murder

DEKALB COUNTY, IL — It's been two years since Patricia A. Wilson and her son, Robert J. Wilson, were found beaten to death in their home in rural Sycamore. On the second anniversary of the brutal murder, authorities with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office have released sketches of the killer, which were completed by a private DNA phenotyping lab. Police are hopeful the new information may lead to an arrest.

Authorities believe Patricia A. Wilson, 85, and Robert J. Wilson, 64, were murdered during the late evening hours of Aug. 14, 2016. Their bodies were found the next day at about 5:56 p.m. inside their home at 16058 Old State Road in rural Sycamore.

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Police believe the killer, or killers, forced their way into the home before fleeing in Patricia's Chevrolet Impala. The 2010 Chevrolet Impala was found during the early morning hours of Aug. 24, 2016, on North Stockton Avenue in the area of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

The car could have been there for several days, and there was no one inside.

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Since August 2016, the sheriff's office has followed up on over 1,200 leads, logged thousands of hours and executed over 48 search warrants for items such as video/DVD recordings, phone records and the victims' house. Authorities used the significant amount of DNA collected at the scene and analyzed by the Illinois State Crime Lab to develop a complete DNA profile of the potential killer. And that profile continues to be checked bi-weekly in state and national databases.

The DNA profile was also used to eliminate several persons of interest in the case, police said.

A private lab, Parabon, completed DNA phenotyping to provide predictions of the killer's appearance, according to the news release. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office released photos provided by Parabon that show what the killer in the unsolved Sycamore murder could look like at age 18, 25 and 40 with an average body mass index.

"It is important to note that Snapshot composites are scientific approximations of appearance based on DNA, and not likely to be exact replica of appearance," according to the news release.

Because of the use of Snapshot phenotyping, authorities strongly believe the killer is a male with light skin and has characteristics described in the Snapshot composite above. Individual predictions were made for the subject's ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape.

The DeKalb County Crime Stoppers continues to offer a cash reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the double homicide. Individuals may call Crime Stoppers at 815-895-3272 or e-mail Crime Stoppers at Crimestoppers@dekalbcounty.org.

Callers to Crime Stoppers are not required to give their name and can remain anonymous if they choose. In addition to Crime Stoppers, citizens with information are urged to contact the Sheriffs Office at 815-895-2155.

"It is our hope that this update will motivate someone to come forward with valid information to help solve this crime for the family and the DeKalb County and Sycamore Community," sheriff's office officials wrote in the Tuesday news release. "The Sheriff's Office remains in contact with the family members of Patricia and Robert to ensure that they are appropriately updated with the investigation. We continue to hold them in
our thoughts and prayers and ask that you all do the same."

Those interested in contributing funds to increase the reward amount in this case can do so by contacting Sycamore Branch of Resource Bank at 815-895-1703.

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Photo via the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office