Romeoville, IL: Police: Man bludgeoned wife to death, left body at front door for 10 days

July 27, 2010
Sun-Times Media Wire
A man apparently bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer, then kept her body behind his front door for 10 days in their home in southwest suburban Romeoville, police said.

John Sadler, 67, of the 1600 block of Benzie Circle, is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of his 66-year-old wife Carol, Romeoville Police Assistant Chief Steven Lucchesi said.

Police initially went to the home on Saturday, after a friend of the family told them she had not heard from Carol, Lucchesi said. When police arrived, Salder told them she was in Michigan and would be back on Sunday.

But police were called to the home once again after the couple's daughter, who lives in Texas, called to say she had not heard from her mother since July 13.

Police again went to the home and talked to Sadler, who again said his wife was in Michigan and would be back at 3 p.m, Lucchesi said. Police relayed the message to the daughter, who called back at 5 p.m. to say she was worried and still hadn't heard from her.

It wasn't until police came back for a third time that officers smelled an odor of decay and Sadler refused to let the officers search the home, Lucchesi said.

The case was reviewed and a search warrant was obtained and a cadaver dog from the DuPage County Sheriff's office arrived at the home and gave a positive response to human remains being in the home, Lucchesi said.

Officer’s found the woman's body behind an interior front door, which was not visible from the front porch where officers had spoken to Sadler, Lucchesi said.

Sadler then admitted that he had an argument with his wife 10 days ago and struck her in the head with a hammer, Lucchesi. The argument happened at the front door and Sadler did not move his wife's body for those 10 days.

Although a motive to the slaying was not clear, the couple's daughter told police Sadler may have suffered from a medical condition, Lucchesi said. That, however, remained under investigation.

Sadler is a registered CPA in Romeoville and had no prior arrests, Lucchesi said.

He was being held at the Will County Adult Detention Center in Joliet, pending a bond hearing.