Elgin man now faces murder charges in 2022 shooting at Huntley home
Charges have been upgraded to first-degree murder against an Elgin man accused in 2022 of pistol-whipping a 67-year-old woman and shooting two men in a Huntley home, one of whom died months later.
Lewis McCracken, 29, is also charged with home invasion, aggravated battery, residential burglary, aggravated discharge of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated battery, according to the indictment filed in the McHenry County court.
He also is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a 29-year-old man in the home who suffered injuries to his elbow.
McCracken, who has been in custody since last year, was initially charged with attempted murder in the death of Mark Wahlstedt, 68.
Wahlstedt died three months after the shooting.
McCracken was arraignment on the new indictment on Thursday. There also was a hearing on whether he should remain detained until trial.
Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Bruce said in court on Thursday that Dr. Scott Denton reviewed Wahlstedt’s autopsy.
Denton, a forensic medical examiner, determined that Wahlstedt died from “complications due to injuries sustained by the gunshot wound to the leg,” according to a petition.
That determination led to the upgraded charges.
In arguing that McCracken should remain detained while awaiting trial, Bruce said McCracken is a flight risk and dangerous to the alleged surviving victims and the community.
Defense attorney Brian Stevens argued for McCracken’s release, saying electronic monitoring and GPS could keep the alleged victims and the community safe. Stevens also questioned the finding that the alleged shooting was the cause of Wahlstedt’s death.
Judge Tiffany Davis granted the state’s petition to continue to detain McCracken.
Prosecutors allege that at about 4 a.m. July 18, 2022, McCracken, armed with a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, was driven by another person to a home in the Wing Pointe subdivision, according to a petition to deny pretrial release.
McCracken was going to confront the 29-year-old man who lived in the home in connection with an earlier altercation in Elgin, prosecutors have said. They said McCracken “pounded” on the door, and the 67-year-old woman answered. When she realized it wasn’t police, she tried to shut the door on McCracken to prevent him from coming inside, but McCracken pushed his way in, prosecutors said.
The two men then “came downstairs after hearing the commotion and yelling. At this time, [McCracken] was armed with a 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his hand. Mark Wahlstedt was also armed with a .380-caliber handgun and ordered [McCracken] to leave. [McCracken] disarmed Mark Wahlstedt and a struggle ensued,” the petition said.
“The defendant pistol-whipped [the woman] in the head with his gun and fired multiple rounds at Mark Wahlstedt and the 29-year-old man. Mark Wahlstedt was shot in the upper thigh involving arteries … and [the younger man] was shot in the elbow,” the petition said.
Police found five fired cartridge cases at the scene, the petition said. Wahlstedt never fired his handgun, prosecutors have said.
Wahlstedt was hospitalized and was treated for “critical and deteriorating medical conditions. After several surgeries and treatment for his gunshot wound, he died on October 7, 2022,” the petition said.
Shortly after the shooting, McCracken and the driver allegedly were involved in a series of incidents, including an armed carjacking and a police chase involving multiple hit-and-runs spanning several suburbs, Bruce said.
McCracken fled to California, Mexico and then Donora, Pennsylvania, where he was into custody on Sept. 26, 2022, after a two-and-a-half police standoff, prosecutors said. He has been at the McHenry County jail since Jan. 3, 2023.