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[mreye]

chicagotribune

 

Wisconsin death has Lefkow tie

Source: Note blames judge for loss of 'his house, his job and family';

Tribune reporter turned away from Chicago scene

 

By Jeff Coen and and David Heinzmann

Tribune staff reporters

Published March 10, 2005, 5:53 AM CST

 

 

Investigators early today said a man who shot himself in the head during a traffic stop in Wisconsin had a suicide note claiming responsibility for the slaying of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow's husband and mother last week.

 

Members of the task force of Chicago police and federal agents said a van driven by Bart Ross, whose last known address was in the 4500 block of North Bernard Street in Chicago, was stopped in West Allis, near Milwaukee, about 6 p.m. As officers approached the car, Ross killed himself with a gunshot to the head, officials say.

 

Investigators said the man had a suicide note that included an admission that he shot the judge's family.

 

The note included details in the case that were not released to the public, investigators said. Sources close to the investigation added that there was a list in the van of all the people who had mistreated him, including judges.

 

In the vehicle were about 300 .22 caliber shells. Investigators found three casings of the same caliber in the Lefkow home this week. Investigators also said they should have enough physical evidence, including DNA, a fingerprint and other items from the crime scene, to make a definitive comparison.

 

Sources close to the case said the judge had ruled against Ross in a civil matter. He was not immediately thought to have ties to any hate group.

 

The note indicated that the judgment had cost Ross "his house, his job and family" one source said. Records show Ross filed a lawsuit against the University of Illinois over cancer treatment in the early 90s. The suit first was ruled against twice before Lefkow rejected it on a technicality in 2004.

 

Chicago police and federal investigators were en route to West Allis late Wednesday to investigate. If the man's suicide note is true, the investigation, which had moved heavily toward the organization tied to jailed white supremacist Matthew Hale, will have ended in a starkly different realm.

 

As investigators combed the Chicago murder scene again Wednesday, federal authorities were using bullets recovered from the bodies in an attempt to pinpoint the make and model of the murder weapon.

 

The bullets and casings have created a puzzle for investigators.

 

An early examination of unique markings on the bullets indicated the weapon could be a .22-caliber revolver, some familiar with the tests said, while other investigators said it could be another type of firearm. Indications the weapon might be a revolver raises more questions, investigators said, because true revolvers do not eject casings.

 

One theory was that the casings could have been dropped in the reloading of a very small handgun that holds only one or two rounds, investigators said.

 

Two casings were found just after the bodies of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey were discovered by Judge Lefkow after she returned home from court on Feb. 28. One was located under one of the bodies, sources have said, and the other was found behind papers on a low shelf of books.

 

The third was found in the basement of the home on Tuesday after investigators returned to the home in a new, intense round of evidence gathering, according to sources.

 

Technicians have removed a significant amount of evidence from the Lefkow home in the last two days, sources said. Investigators took search dogs through the home on Wednesday.

 

On Tuesday, several doors were removed from the house to be examined for trace evidence. Pieces removed from the house were being analyzed at the Chicago police crime lab, investigators said.

 

Major evidence analyzed in the last several days has not produced information to break the case. Neither DNA collected from a cigarette butt left in the sink of the house nor a fingerprint found on a broken window have led to a suspect.

 

Both the genetic profile and fingerprint have been run through national databases, but no matches were found. Members of the task force of Chicago police detectives and federal agents were continuing to chase hundreds of tips Wednesday. The task force has now swelled to as many as 300 investigators.

 

Officials also hope a $50,000 reward being offered in the case might draw someone forward.

 

Also Wednesday, Glenn Greenwald, a New York attorney who has represented Hale in several past civil lawsuits, said Hale's mother asked him to pass a clearly coded message from Hale to a follower about 2 to 2½ months ago.

 

Greenwald said he declined to deliver the message because he didn't understand what Hale meant in the note.

[bjm676]

http://www.nbc5.com/news/4272208/detail.ht...994&dppid=65192

 

A suicide note has been found from the apparent killer as well.

 

The hand-written letter, signed by Bart A. Ross, describes how the crimes were committed, saying he intended to kill Lefkow, not her relatives.

 

The letter begins, "I regret killing husband and mother of Judge Lefkow as much as I regret that I have to die for the simple reason that they personally did to me no wrong."

 

The author says he broke into Lefkow's house at 6:30 a.m. and planned to spend all day waiting for the judge to return. However, Michael Lefkow discovered the man in a utility room of the home around 9 a.m., according to the letter.

 

"I had no choice ... but to shoot him," the letter states. "Then I heard voice 'Michael, Michael,' so I looked to the hallway (in the basement) and saw an older woman. I had to shoot her too. I followed with a 2nd shot to the head in both cases to minimize their suffering."

 

An additional type-written letter describes a 12-year court case after he was diagnosed with cancer.

 

He called his treatment "a fraud" and said the result of the court cases caused him to lose his home on Feb. 16, 2005.

 

"Since Feb. 16, 2005, I lived in my car moving around, and when I got numb enough to care about nothing, I finally did it on Feb. 28, 2005. In me there was 12 1/2 years of anger and knowledge 'I am already dead' because the listed (expletive) doesn't know how to let live," the letter states.

 

NBC5 has not been able to confirm the letter was written by Ross, although it is signed by him.

[AngelasDaddy0427]

It's really a shame the guy just turned out to be some random whack job. I was kind of hoping the feds would be able to use this to attack those racist idiots.

[Texsox]

I believe this is caused by a rush to judgement.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Somehow this whole thing looks like it was solved a little too neatly and easily. They HAD to find a suspect within a week, or the public outcry would've been enormous. Heck even Bush was involved.

If this in fact is the guy, they caught a huge break, cuz from what I've read, the killer was not sloppy. They didn't have much to go on.

[southsider2k5]

Too bad the media will never apoligize to Hale for assuming that he had this done. The guy might be a scumbag, but they had him all over the news for this, and he looks to have had zero connection to it.

[Texsox]

Too bad the media will never apoligize to Hale for assuming that he had this done.  The guy might be a scumbag, but they had him all over the news for this, and he looks to have had zero connection to it.

 

Media, and the FBI, and the police, the Judge, her friends, and everyone else involved.

[Steff]

Too bad the media will never apoligize to Hale for assuming that he had this done.  The guy might be a scumbag, but they had him all over the news for this, and he looks to have had zero connection to it.

 

 

 

If it slithers like a snake...

[The Critic]

Somehow this whole thing looks like it was solved a little too neatly and easily. They HAD to find a suspect within a week, or the public outcry would've been enormous.  Heck even Bush was involved.

If this in fact is the guy, they caught a huge break, cuz from what I've read, the killer was not sloppy. They didn't have much to go on.

The killer did leave some DNA on the scene, from what I read.

If this guy's DNA matches, then he was there.

Whether or not he was there on the behalf of someone else, we'll never know.

[Steff]

Somehow this whole thing looks like it was solved a little too neatly and easily. They HAD to find a suspect within a week, or the public outcry would've been enormous.  Heck even Bush was involved.

If this in fact is the guy, they caught a huge break, cuz from what I've read, the killer was not sloppy. They didn't have much to go on.

 

 

2 shell casings, a cigarette butt, a fingerprint... doesn't sound too neat to me.

[AngelasDaddy0427]

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 10, 2005 -> 01:41 PM)

Too bad the media will never apoligize to Hale for assuming that he had this done.  The guy might be a scumbag, but they had him all over the news for this, and he looks to have had zero connection to it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't see why any of us should feel sorry for him.

[LosMediasBlancas]

2 shell casings, a cigarette butt, a fingerprint... doesn't sound too neat to me. 

 

.....all of which could not be linked back to him, unless they got lucky, like they did. If they don't pull him over and he skips town, they woulda been screwed.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Too bad the media will never apoligize to Hale for assuming that he had this done.  The guy might be a scumbag, but they had him all over the news for this, and he looks to have had zero connection to it.

 

Probable cause. Every day motorists get pulled over for probable casue, or because 'they match a description', no one apologizes to them. f*** him.

[Steff]

.....all of which could not be linked back to him, unless they got lucky, like they did. If they don't pull him over and he skips town, they woulda been screwed.

 

 

I was referring to the crime scene.. which wasn't "neat", IMO.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I was referring to the crime scene.. which wasn't "neat", IMO.

 

You might be right, I might be giving this guy too much credit, but he was neat enough to where without this break, they might never have caught him.

[Steff]

You might be right, I might be giving this guy too much credit, but he was neat enough to where without this break, they might never have caught him. 

 

 

 

I think they would have found him dead eventually. FWIU they were going case by case looking for people she ruled against. Definitely would have taken some time though.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I think they would have found him dead eventually. FWIU they were going case by case looking for people she ruled against. Definitely would have taken some time though.

 

I wonder whay he panicked and killed himself. Maybe he had something really incriminating in the car with him, like his clothes with their blood on it. Strange.

[AngelasDaddy0427]

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Mar 10, 2005 -> 03:10 PM)

I wonder whay he panicked and killed himself. Maybe he had something really incriminating in the car with him, like his clothes with their blood on it. Strange.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

More then likely it was just guilt that built up. I mean after you do something like that it has to just knaw at you (well at least if you have a soul).

[Steff]

I wonder whay he panicked and killed himself. Maybe he had something really incriminating in the car with him, like his clothes with their blood on it. Strange.

 

 

Sounds like he was going to kill himself anyway. He sent a note to channel 2 also so he was planning something. Claimed he wasn't going to kill the husband or mother until the husband found him in the pantry.

[mreye]

I think they would have found him dead eventually. FWIU they were going case by case looking for people she ruled against. Definitely would have taken some time though.

I think it would have taken forever considering she never "ruled" in his case, just dismissed it. They got very lucky!