Rob Sherman Identified As Pilot In Marengo Small Plane Crash
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The pilot of the small plane crash on Saturday in Marengo has been identified as Robert I. Sherman.
An autopsy performed Monday revealed, Robert I. Sherman, 63, of Poplar Grove, died from multiple crush injuries due to the plane crash, according to the McHenry County Coroner's office. Identification of his remains was made through dental records.
Sherman was a congressional candidate, national spokesman for the American Atheists and a board member of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Schaumburg, WBBM's Mike Krauser reported.
Rob Sherman encouraged others to build their own airplane. "Just think," he wrote on his website, "No more airline fees! No more TSA hassles! Fly when you want!"
He was a licensed pilot. Sherman was best known for his long history as an advocate for separation of church and state.
He ran for Congress in the 5th District as a Green Party candidate last month, WBBM's Steve Miller reports. And less than two weeks ago Sherman announced he would run for Congress in 2018, from the 12th District downstate.
Miriam Cooper, a member of the Township High School District 214 board for 27 years, says she met Sherman two decades ago.
"He used to joke about their being swear words on dollar bills because they said, 'In God We Trust,' and that's a swear word to him. He had a good sense of humor about it."
In fact, Rob Sherman's website features images of coins emblazoned with his face - with the words, "In Rob We Trust."
The plane's tail number, provided by the National Transportation Safety Board, matched the tail number on Sherman's home-built Zenair CH601, a light, single-engine 2-seat aircraft.
A source told WBBM that Sherman had been flying last night and never made it to an event at the Schaumburg Airport.
The wreckage, barely resembling an aircraft, was discovered Saturday morning in a corn field in Marengo. Crews received a call around 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning, after someone spotted wreckage around Meyer Road just north of Pleasant Grove Road.
It's still not clear what caused the plane to crash. The crash remains under investigation by the FAA, NTSB and the McHenry County Coroner's office.
