Prosecutors say one of two suspects made admissions after they beat a missing man to death near Mundelein and then purchased acid, saw blades, bleach and other cleaning supplies, before dismembering his body and disposing of it.
Dmitry Bogatiryov, 52, of Mundelein, and Damen Voranoff, 56, of Mundelein, are each charged with first-degree murder, a Class M felony.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeffrey Facklam said Voranoff and Bogatiryov killed Ruslan Furman, 51, of Mundelein, in late September and disposed of the body “in a manner that the body has still not been found.”
Furman was living in the 26500 block of North Route 83Â with Voranoff, who was renting the house from Bogatiryov.
Voranoff and Furman lived just behind Boagatiryov, whose home is in the 26600 block of Kenwood Court in unincorporated Mundelein
The three of them were routinely together but Facklam said it is unclear how close they were with each other.
A witness told police approximately 6-8 weeks after the murder occurred that they had information about Furman.
The witness described seeing Furman bloodied and beaten on the floor of Boagatiryov’s residence on Kenwood Court in unincorporated Mundelein after Boagatiryov and Voranoff had beaten the victim, Facklam said.
Police were able to determine that the murder occurred around September 25 or September 26.
Facklam said Boagatiryov, several days later, told someone that Furman was dead and still inside the residence on the floor.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive investigation over the span of several months that included conducting multiple search warrants on both suspects’ houses.
A cadaver dog alerted to an area on the floor of Boagatiryov’s residence. Officers also saw that the first floor of the residence was being remodeled, Facklam said.
The floors had been recently stained a dark brown color when they were previously white and the walls had been freshly painted.
Investigators cut up the flooring to be analyzed and human blood was detected in multiple areas of the floor, Facklam said.
Some of the blood was determined to have come from Furman. Other blood stains could not be tested, likely because the stain had been cleaned with a cleaning agent, Facklam said.
Furman’s blood was also located on a saw and a knife found in the residence. There were ripped-up couches that had been placed outside the home.
Furman’s blood was additionally located on some of the remaining fabric on the couches, Facklam said.
Investigators obtained evidence that both suspects made purchases at two different Home Depots in early October.
Facklam said Boagatiryov and Voranoff purchased acid, coveralls, goggles, gloves, plastic sheeting, saw blades, bleach and garbage bags.
Facklam said the suspects later returned some but not all of the acid and made another purchase for additional cleaning supplies, including vinegar, lemon ammonia, bleach, odor absorber and lestoil.
Investigators have not spoken to anyone who has had communication with Furman since late September.
Voranoff’s phone showed consistent communication with Furman that abruptly stopped on September 25, Facklam said.
Other witnesses also indicated that they had had no communication with Furman since September 25.
Much of the victim’s property, including his passport, was found in his house when it was searched in November, Facklam said.
“The defendant, apparently acting out of anger towards a friend and roommate, beat and killed the victim. He then so thoroughly cleaned the crime scene and disposed of the body, his crime went undiscovered for months. A defendant that is willing to inflict this type of violence on someone he knows is a danger to others around him and those he doesn’t know,” Facklam said regarding both suspects.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that a grand jury indicted Boagatiryov and Voranoff on Wednesday on the murder charges, saying the agency had been pursuing “every available lead and methodically piecing together” evidence over more than eight months.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said detectives believe the two suspects dismembered Furman’s body and disposed of his remains after beating him and leaving him to die.
Sheriff’s detectives, specialized dive teams, fire personnel and partner law enforcement agencies searched Diamond Lake for Furman’s remains on several occasions, in addition to surrounding areas, but to date have been unable to locate them, Covelli said.
“Detectives continue pursuing investigative leads in an effort to recover his remains,” Covelli said.
Boagatiryov and Voranoff were already being held in custody on unrelated gun and drug charges when they were indicted.
The two were arrested early on in the case on the drug and gun charges after search warrants were carried out on November 11 for crime-related evidence at Furman’s and Bogatiryov’s residences.
A heavy police presence consisting of police canines, detectives and SWAT team members was seen in the area as the warrants were carried out, with investigators arresting both men.
Detention hearings were held on Friday afternoon after the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to detain them in their new murder cases and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the requests.
Defense attorneys for Boagatiryov and Voranoff both argued that Furman was not dead and had instead fled the jurisdiction as he is a foreign national.
“This investigation reflects the dedication and persistence of our detectives, who never stopped working to find the truth and seek justice for Mr. Furman and his loved ones. From the day he was reported missing, our investigators followed every lead, worked through every piece of evidence, and stayed focused on holding those responsible accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“These charges are the result of months of hard work by our detectives and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. While today’s indictments are an important step, our work is not over. We will continue searching for Mr. Furman’s remains so his family can have final closure,” Idleburg said.