Illinois Murder-Suicide: Man Shoots Wife Before Killing Self Fearing They Had Coronavirus

A man fatally shot his wife before killing himself in Will County, Illinois, fearing they had contracted coronavirus, local police said Saturday. The incident took place Thursday in southwest suburban Lockport Township.

On the day of the incident, officers responded to the scene for a wellbeing check and found Patrick Jesernik, 54, and Cheryl Schriefer, 59, lying dead in separate rooms of the house, the Will County sheriff’s office said. Police found a loaded revolver with two spent shells and three live rounds were located near Jesernik’s body.

Police said they were contacted by Jesernik’s parents, who requested the check because they had not heard from him. When the family arrived at the scene they told police that Jesernik feared he and his wife had COVID-19. Schriefer was tested two days before the fatal incident after stating she was having a hard time breathing, authorities said.

An autopsy conducted Friday found that Schriefer and Jesernik both died from a single gunshot to the head. Jesernik’s death was ruled a suicide and Schriefer’s death ruled a homicide, authorities said. Both tested negative for coronavirus.

Will County authorities said the majority of calls they have received since the coronavirus pandemic involved domestic disputes.

In another recent incident in Chesapeake, Virginia, a man fatally shot his wife before killing himself at their home. Officers responded to a home in South Norfolk after receiving a report of a shooting incident. Police said the woman's husband barricaded himself inside the home. When authorities managed to gain entry to the home five hours later, they found the man dead.

Another murder-suicide incident earlier this week took place in Summerville, South Carolina. A man shot his wife before killing himself. Police responded to the home and found a man and a woman lying in a pool of blood. The man died at the scene while the woman was taken to a hospital.