Two brothers are in police custody — with one of the siblings charged with a felony — in the latest development in an investigation stemming from the discovery of two people buried in a suburban Chicago back yard.
The bodies of 79-year-old Jean Lelko and her 44-year-old daughter, Jennifer Lelko, were uncovered in August 2021 after Lyons police conducted a well-being check at a home in the 3900 block of Center Avenue.
Two brothers allegedly told police they buried Jean Lelko, their mother, in the yard in 2015 after their sister, Jennifer, pushed her down a flight of stairs. They said they buried the sister after she died of an illness in 2019.
The brothers were initially questioned by police and released last year. On Thursday, Lyons police provided an update:
Michael Lelko, 47, is charged with two counts of concealment of a death, a felony. His 42-year-old brother is in custody and charges are pending, authorities said.
In addition, both siblings reportedly face federal charges of theft of Social Security benefits that were paid out to their mother after her death.
The brothers won't face any charges related to their mother and sister's deaths because the bodies were too decomposed for medical examiners to determine how they died.
"This has been a very unusual and difficult case because the bodies have been buried for so many years. The autopsy was only able to confirm the identities of the two individuals, the mother and the sister, but not any evidence for the cause of death," Police Chief Thomas Herion said.
An investigation continues, officials said.
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