A grand jury on Thursday charged a man with first-degree murder after prosecutors said he shot two people, one of which died months later, during a home invasion in Huntley in 2022.
Lewis C. McCracken, 29, of Elgin, was initially charged in July 2022 with attempted murder, aggravated battery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.
A McHenry County grand jury returned a 19-count indictment on Thursday charging McCracken with first-degree murder, attempted murder, home invasion, aggravated battery by discharge of a firearm, residential burglary, aggravated discharge of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
McCracken remains held in the McHenry County Jail after he was arrested two years ago.
McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney William Bruce said in a previously filed petition that McCracken traveled to a residence in the 11800 block of Cape Cod Lane in Huntley around 4 a.m. on July 18, 2022.
McCracken reportedly intended to confront a then-29-year-old man regarding his relationship with a woman and the possession of the woman’s car.
The 29-year-old man and the woman have a child together and were in a relationship for a long period of time, the petition said.
McCracken was driven to the residence by someone else in a Lexus.
The 29-year-old man’s mother, a 67-year-old woman, answered the door when McCracken began pounding on it, Bruce said.
The 67-year-old woman realized McCracken was not the police and tried to shut the door.
Bruce said that McCracken prevented her from shutting it and the 29-year-old man, along with his 68-year-old father, came downstairs after hearing the commotion.
McCracken was armed with a handgun and the father, Mark Wahlstedt, who was also armed with a handgun, told McCracken to leave.
McCracken disarmed Wahlstedt and a struggle ensued, Bruce said.
McCracken allegedly pistol-whipped the woman and fired multiple shots at the two male residents.
Wahlstedt suffered a gunshot in the upper thigh and the 29-year-old man suffered a gunshot to the elbow, Bruce said.
McCracken fled to the vehicle he arrived and left the scene before police arrived.
Both victims were transported to area hospitals. The younger male victim suffered permanent injuries.
Wahlstedt remained in medical care after being shot and eventually died on October 7, 2022, Bruce said.
Officers began conducting surveillance on McCracken and attempted to stop him later the same day.
McCracken failed to stop and officers a short time later found the Lexus abandoned in a field in Bartlett, Bruce said.
McCracken and another subject allegedly fled from the car.
McCracken carjacked an employee of a nearby manufacturing plant at gunpoint, Bruce said.
Officers later located the stolen truck abandoned in Addison. A handgun was found in the vehicle, which was the same gun used in the shooting.
McCracken fled the state of Illinois and was located in Donora, Pennsylvania on September 26, 2022.
A standoff lasted nearly two hours before a SWAT team deployed non-lethal rounds at the man and took him into custody, Bruce said.
McCracken was extradited to the McHenry County Jail and ordered held without bond.
McCracken is a convicted felon who has served prison sentences for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and possession of a stolen firearm. He was also adjudicated delinquent for residential burglary as a juvenile.
It is unclear why the charges against McCracken were upgraded this week to first-degree murder nearly two years following Wahlstedt’s death.
A grand jury indictment said McCracken caused the death of Wahlstedt.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office previously said they could not attribute the man’s death directly to the gunshot wound as he had prior medical conditions.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said on Friday that the office’s position had not changed since it closed the case in 2022.
Newton said Wahlstedt was admitted to hospice for sepsis for a bowel obstruction prior to his death.
An autopsy revealed pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thrombosis of undetermined etiology with complications of bowel perforation due to ischemic colitis acting as a contributing condition. The manner of death was deemed undetermined.
McCracken is scheduled to appear in court next week.