Murder suspect charged in Gilberts slaying
Gilberts police believe they have solved the village's first murder since 2007.
Su Won Kil, 42, is accused of shooting Dae Hae Kwak to death Wednesday morning in Kil's townhouse in the 300 block of Evergreen Circle, authorities said.
"It was clear there was some type of altercation early in the morning that led to multiple gunshots to the victim," Gilberts Police Chief Steve Williams said.
Kil faces two counts of first degree murder, Williams said.
The murder charges carry a 20- to 60-year prison sentence upon conviction. Because the crime was committed with a handgun, that could add another 15 years to the sentence.
"We have recovered a (handgun) that we believe is the murder weapon," said Williams, adding the gun was found inside Kil's home Wednesday.
Police were called to Kil's townhouse in the Timber Trails subdivision at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday for a report of shots fired. Williams did not know what the two may have argued about.
Williams said police found Kwak shot to death in a bedroom. Neighbors said they saw Kil handcuffed in the back of a squad car that morning.
Kwak, formerly of the 300 block of South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, is a Korean national and it took authorities a couple days in an unsuccessful attempt to find his next of kin before police released his name Friday morning.
Williams said the Kane County Coroner's Office was scheduled to perform an autopsy on Kwak Friday.
Coroner Chuck West did not return phone messages and a woman who answered the phone there said the office was not releasing any information. She did not specify why.
Before Friday, Kil had not been charged with any crimes in Kane County, court records show.
The last murder in the small village of Gilberts occurred in January 2007. Frank Hill is accused of killing his girlfriend and setting her home on fire. He is expected to go to trial this year and faces the death penalty.
Williams credited his officers and the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force for their hard work on the case. "It's just sad," he said of the situation.
Neighbor Maribel Gavina said the older man - now identified as Kwak - began staying at the townhouse in either February or March and largely kept to himself, only coming outside for an occasional cigarette.
Gavina said she has known Kil for more than five years, that he recently retired from an information services job and recently sold his red Porsche.
"We usually talked about our vehicles because he owned a Porsche and I have a Mercedes," she said earlier this week. "I'm concerned because I have always known Su Won to be friendly. I have two children now. It startled me - him being arrested."
Staff writer Josh Stockinger contributed to this report.
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<li><a href="/story/?id=402061">Gilberts police rule out suicide in case of body found in townhouse <span class="date">[08/19/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=401814">Man found shot to death in townhouse in Gilberts <span class="date">[08/18/10]</span></a></li>
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