(OAK FOREST) A man apparently killed his wife and 18-year-old son before taking his own life in the family’s south suburban Oak Forest home.
Officers responding to a call for a well-being check at 7:57 p.m. in the 6600 block of Courtney Drive forced entry into the home and found three people dead inside, according to a statement from Oak Forest police.
David Joost, 54, was found in the garage and had apparently committed suicide by cutting his wrists and hanging himself, police said. The car in the garage also appeared to have been left running.
His wife, 55-year-old Margaret O’Leary-Joost, and their autistic son, 18-year-old Daniel Joost, were found in their respective beds. They both had ligature marks around their necks and may have been strangled, according to police.
All were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday.
A co-worker of O’Leary-Joost told investigators the woman had called off work sick Friday, but then again failed to come into work Monday, police said. When the co-worker went to the home to check on her, fluid that appeared to be blood was coming from under the overhead garage door.
By Tuesday, investigators learned that David Joost was unemployed and struggling financially. Their son, Daniel Joost, was autistic and attended a nearby transition program through South West Cooperative. The wife and mother worked at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn as a crisis worker. The family is survived by a 20-year-old daughter who is attending Millikin University in Decatur.
