A man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison in a case where authorities said he murdered his mother and stepfather in Algonquin, concealed their bodies and transported them in a U-Haul truck.
Maxim Parnov, 37, of Algonquin, was indicted in December 2021 on six counts of first-degree murder and two counts of concealing a homicidal death.
The Algonquin Police Department said they responded on November 30, 2021, to the 400 block of La Fox River Drive in Algonquin for a well-being check call.
Algonquin Deputy Police Chief Ryan Markham said at the time that someone called the police to check on a male resident and a female resident who had not been heard from.
Officers were unable to locate the residents, identified as Elvira Almen, 56, and Peter M. Almen, 64, at the residence and an investigation was launched.
Friends of Peter Almen said the man, who was married to Elvira Almen — Parnov’s mother, was reported missing after he did not show up for work, which was unlike him.
Two deceased subjects, who matched the description of the couple, were located around 12 p.m. on December 1, 2021, Markham said.
Parnov, who fled the area in a car, was identified as a person of interest in the case shortly after police found the couple’s bodies.
Prosecutors said Parnov denied knowledge of Elvira and Peter Almen’s whereabouts but did tell officers that he had been arguing with them in the prior days.
Police spoke with a neighbor who had surveillance video which showed male subjects transferring a large object into the back of a U-Haul truck.
Parnov told officers that he rented a U-Haul to move certain furniture from the residence and that he asked four landscapers working in the area to help him move the furniture, prosecutors said.
Officers located the U-Haul truck rented by Parnov on December 1, 2021, in a parking lot of a U-Haul rental facility.
A certified human remains detection dog walked around the U-Haul truck and alerted its K-9 handler that it detected human remains.
A warrant was obtained to search the U-Haul and officers located the deceased remains of Peter and Elvira Almen.
Officers attempted to locate and speak with Parnov throughout the day but he actively concealed his whereabouts and hid from law enforcement, prosecutors said.
A friend of Parnov told officers that Parnov unexpectedly showed up at their residence the night before.
Parnov told his friend that he had been fighting and arguing with his parents, who asked him to leave the residence.
Prosecutors said Parnov told the friend that “what happened next was unfortunate” and resulted in the “passing” of his parents.
Parnov did not know what to do and asked the friend how to sell his vehicle and obtain a new identity, prosecutors said.
Another friend of Parnov told officers that he was also contacted by Parnov during the late evening on November 30, 2021.
The friend reported that Parnov told him he killed both of his parents by beating them to death and asked the friend for help burying them, prosecutors said.
Markham said that Parnov was located by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department at a residence in Salem Lakes, Wisconsin around 6:48 a.m. on December 2, 2021.
Court documents said that Parnov inflicted blunt force trauma on Elvira Almen and Peter Almen, causing their deaths.
Parnov allegedly placed Elvira Almen in a freezer inside the residence on La Fox River Drive and transported the freezer in a U-Haul rental truck, a criminal complaint said.
Parnov placed the body of Peter Almen in a wooden cabinet inside the residence on La Fox River Drive and transported the cabinet in the back of the same truck, the complaint said.
Court records show Parnov entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday.
He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in exchange for the rest of the charges being dismissed.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea and sentenced Parnov to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Parnov will be required to serve 100% of the sentence and will receive 536 days of credit for time already served.
The state’s attorney’s office said the plea deal was offered following “extensive conversations and input from the family of the victims and local law enforcement.”
A court hearing is scheduled for June 20 for a victim impact statement reading.