Oswego man laid to rest as police continue search for his killer

As Matthew Lange's friends and family paid their final respects at his funeral Thursday, investigators say they're still searching for clues in the Oswego man's Friday slaying.

Police said the 37-year-old assistant professor of psychology at the Lewis University Romeoville campus was shot in the head multiple times at 7:19 p.m. as he sat in his car and waited to pick up his son from a Polish culture class at Scullen Middle School in Naperville. Police have said they believe Lange was targeted.

A $5,000 reward was offered Monday for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Naperville police Cmdr. Lou Cammiso said Thursday that investigators have not developed or detained a person of interest in the case.

"We have had some tips that we are tracking down, but nothing to report at this time as far as results on those tips," Cammiso said.

Will County prosecutors also had nothing new to report Thursday.

Barbara Panczyk, principal of the Helena Modjeska Polish School, which operates on Friday nights at Scullen Middle School, said enough parents have questions to justify a meeting at 8 p.m. Friday in the cafeteria.

"I've done my best to answer them throughout the week, but there's so much we still don't know," she said.

Panczyk said she's thankful everyone in the school on the night of the shooting was involved in a reception on the opposite side of the building and didn't witness the shooting.

Panczyk said it was actually a staff member's husband who was arriving to attend the reception who noticed Lange.

"He ran in and told us something was wrong outside, that a car had its windows busted but the radio was on," she said. "That's when another staff member and I went outside and called police."

She said it made sense for Lange to be there at that time. When Lange had weekend custody, he would pick his son up at 7 p.m. on his way home from work. Otherwise, the boy would attend the school until 8:30 p.m.

Panczyk said she knew Lange's ex-wife much better than she knew Lange, because of their Polish heritage, but was heartbroken nonetheless.

"I knew Matthew Lange to be a very quiet and polite gentleman, so this was a terrible tragedy," she said. "I hope they can catch who did this so everyone can have peace."