Deadly Family Feud! Highland Park MAN ACCUSED of SHOOTING BROTHERS Dead, Setting House Ablaze

Police have identified the man accused of killing both of his brothers and setting fire to a house in Highland Park before fleeing earlier this week.

Jeffrey S. Austwick, 54, of the 1700 block of Park Avenue West in Highland Park, was detained in St. Louis, Missouri, after police issued a warrant for him in the double murder case, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli on Friday evening.

Two brothers, Marc Austwick, 63, of Lake Forest, and John Austwick, 60, of Mundelein, were discovered shot to death outside a blazing residence in the 1700 block of Park Avenue West early Wednesday morning.

According to Covelli, a preliminary investigation reveals that Marc and John visited the residence to negotiate the property with Jeffrey. “The property was owned by the mother of the three, and she recently passed away,” added Covelli.

After the two brothers came, Jeffrey allegedly shot them and set fire to the house. Covelli reported that Jeffrey then fled the scene in his vehicle.

Later Wednesday, investigators issued a nationwide arrest order for Jeffrey on two counts of murder.

Jeffrey was caught by local police in a park in St. Louis, Missouri, around 5:30 a.m. on Friday. He is still in detention in Missouri awaiting an initial court hearing, according to Covelli.

The Highland Park Police Department and Highland Park Fire Department arrived to the residence around 3:50 a.m. on Wednesday after a neighbor reported it was on fire.

Firefighters arrived to discover the house engulfed in flames.

While evaluating the fire, firefighters discovered the two brothers dead in the grass outside the house. Later on Wednesday, the Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed that both males died from numerous gunshot wounds rather than from the fire itself.

Firefighters eventually doused the fire with the assistance of other fire departments in the vicinity.

A crime scene was quickly constructed, and multiple police and fire investigators, including the Illinois State Fire Marshal, rushed to the area. Federal agents, notably the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service, assisted the local detectives.

Highland Park Police asked the Lake County Major Crime Task Force to assist with the double murder investigation.

Authorities stated that the murders looked to be isolated and posed little threat to the community.

Park Avenue West between Ridge Road and Sunnyside Avenue was closed Wednesday and Thursday for the investigation. The property where the incident occurred appeared to be for sale, as there was a real estate sign in front of it. The Lake County court records for the case were not readily available to the public Friday evening.