Suspect In Custody After Gurnee Murder
Updated 09/28/15 - 6:05 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A suspect was in custody early Monday, after a murder in north suburban Gurnee led to a 10-hour multi-state manhunt.
David Brocksom, 43, turned himself in around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. He was driving to the Gurnee police station when he was pulled over, and arrested without incident in the parking lot.
"One of our officers spotted the suspect's vehicle headed towards the police department, so he got in behind it. He actually started to pull in to the police department parking lot, and we pulled him over, and he was taken into custody out in the parking lot," Gurnee Deputy Police Chief Willie Meyer said.
Earlier, police had issued an all-points bulletin for his blue minivan, which was towed away after his arrest.
Brocksom, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, had come to the Gurnee area for a planned visitation with his two children. When police found a woman dead inside a home in the 3700 block of Pacific Avenue around 9:30 a.m., they immediately began searching for Brocksom.
"We received a call from somebody that there was possibly somebody injured at that residence. The first responding officers got there, and did find the victim deceased," Meyer said.
Police identified the woman as Beata Brocksom. They say she died from a single gunshot wound.
Selena Butler is one of many neighbors adding flowers to a memorial for a woman naturally drawn to them.
"She loved landscaping, she loved gardening," said neighbor Luis Nieves.
Nieves says the mother of two was involved in a contentious divorce process. Her former attorney says she divorced David in 2012 but went through a volatile custody battle lasting years, describing David as relentless.
David filed personal protection orders against her. CBS 2 obtained records from 2013 where he accused Beata of verbal threats and raised issues in her handling of the children.
"I was pretty shocked. He seemed like a really quiet, laid-back kind of guy," neighbor Matt Wilkins said.
Beata's family briefly visited the crime scene and didn't want to talk on camera but said the children would stay with their grandparents.
Gurnee police said Brocksom is a suspect in the murder. Brocksom has asked for an attorney, but charges had not been filed as of 6 p.m. Monday.
Police have searched Brocksom's home in Kenosha, but have yet to recover a weapon. They also intend to search his minivan on Monday.
"We're going to do a search warrant this morning on his vehicle, and then they're waiting for results from the autopsy before we start talking about charges with the state's attorney's office," Meyer said.
Brocksom's children were not home at the time.