Ill. Agents Tracked Lefkow Suspect in 1999

AP ^ | 3-14-05

[Indy Pendance]

CHICAGO - Rambling and threatening letters from the man believed to be the killer of Judge Joan Lefkow's husband and mother prompted the Illinois Attorney General's office to investigate him six years ago, former state officials say.

Investigators went to the Chicago home of Bart Ross in the winter of 1999 and created an extensive file on him, noting his paranoia and anger at the government and judiciary, said a former investigator and the office's one-time chief of investigations.

Ross, 57, an unemployed electrician, committed suicide Wednesday in a Milwaukee suburb after a police officer pulled him over because of broken taillights on his van.

After Ross killed himself, authorities found a note implicating himself in the murders of Michael Lefkow, 64, and Donna Humphrey, 89.

"It pains me to think we had this guy in front of us six years ago with no idea what evil he was destined to do," said Kerry Polizzi, a former investigator for the attorney general's office.

Daniel Callahan, a former chief of investigations for the office, said that although he knew of the threats Ross made, it is difficult to fault the actions of the investigators at the time.

"There was nothing in the correspondence that led us to believe there was going to be violence," Callahan said. Polizzi said the attorney general's office receives as many as 100 alarm-raising letters each year.

Ross had been treated for cancer at the University of Illinois-Chicago Hospital from 1992 to 1995 and spent more than a decade attempting to receive damages for what he said was medical malpractice that had disfigured his face.

Lefkow, a U.S. District judge, had dismissed the most recent of his repeated lawsuits last year.

Ross "was concerned about government conspiracies, his civil rights, and even accused the hospital of putting a transmitter in his mouth," Polizzi said. He wrote sometimes incoherent letters to officials at various levels of government.

"There was a file on this, and they received threats from him before," said Dan Curry, who had been press secretary to then-Attorney General James Ryan at the time of the 1999 investigation.

Curry said he couldn't recall which other public officials received direct threats.

[cripplecreek]

As I understand it Lefko was rather sympathetic to Ross but was unable to help him within the law. Ross needed to stop trying to represent himself and get an attorney.

[cherry]

that's what I understand too.....

one wonders how many people like Ross are out there....sitting around with their paranoia and fantasies.....just waiting for opportunity....

[cripplecreek]

Unfortunately I think there are a lot of people running around thinking the system is out to get them.

We have a guy locally who has spent several years trying to prove some vast conspiracy on the part of our county and state courts. It started when his son was hit by a school bus. The kid wasn't severely injured but the guy tried unsucessfully to sue the county.

The son who was hit by the bus was caught in possesion of marijuana then got caught shoplifting from Target and other things and eventually ended up in prison. In the eyes of the father everything was an interconnected conspiracy involving one small town cop, the state and local courts, and Target stores.


I don't know if the guy still believes the stuff. I got tired of listening to it and quit visiting the forum the guy used. (he hijacked nearly every thread and connected everything to his conspiracy)