A 31-year-old North Aurora man who was convicted of murdering two women in a gang-related shooting will spend the rest of his life in jail looked on impassively as a Kendall County judge pronounced a life sentence for his conviction on two separate charges of First-Degree Murder the jury found Brown guilty after just 3 hours of deliberation fourteen shots were fired by Brown into a house in the Boulder Hill subdivision of Oswego Township Intelligence gathered on the scene indicated the shooting being a form of gang retaliation a black Porsche Cayenne was identified and sent out to local departments as the suspect vehicle That vehicle was found in North Aurora and followed to a residence where multiple people a self-identified Black Disciple street gang member The murder weapon used in these crimes was found in the car which Brown claimed was his Brown’s alleged accomplice in the murders will go on trial in September You must be logged in to post a comment © Fox Valley Magazine 2023. All Rights Reserved. Site by SDTECHNOLOGIES A North Aurora-area man has been charged with possession and dissemination of child pornography including one video compilation that was two hours long is facing 14 counts of reproduction of child pornography and 10 counts of possession of child pornography He was granted pretrial release on Wednesday Prosecutors had sought to have him denied pretrial Kane County Judge David Kliment ordered that White have no contact with people under the age of 18 and agree to let pretrial services workers monitor his electronic devices to make sure he is not using the internet The case was investigated by the Kane County Child Advocacy Center a division of the state’s attorney’s office The charge about the two-hour video states it depicted “numerous acts of child sex abuse” of children under the age of 13 The charges accuse White of possessing the files in May and July of 2024 2025 at 3:30 pm CSTExpandMaple Fest is Saturday March 9 at Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora (Photo provided by the Fox Valley Park District) The Fox Valley Park District’s popular Maple Fest event returns this weekend to Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora “Tapping maples for their sweet treat is one of the harbingers of spring,” said Renee Oakley This is a sign that the green’s coming back.” The staff at Red Oak is ready for a seasonal celebration at Maple Fest a tradition of more than 40 years that puts guests front and center to learn and experience the process of turning maple sap into maple syrup with time slots beginning at the top of every hour “You learn the how and you also learn why this is the only time of year we can showcase this phenomenon and why not every place can do this,” Oakley said in the release “You’re at the right place at the right time with everything needed to make syrup.” Presentations begin at the top of each hour both days of the event and last about 45 minutes Naturalists from Red Oak will conduct a short presentation before leading visitors to various stations in the woods to view demonstrations of how maple sap is harvested and turned into maple syrup Attendees can stop by Sapwood Corner to test their maple-tapping skills firsthand An evaporator will be onsite producing sweet smoky smells and maple syrup samples will be given at the end of each tour for registered attendees Additional refreshments will be available for purchase including a four-sample flight with yummy Runamok maple syrups Sugarmaker’s Dark Pure and Organic Sugarmaker’s Cut Pure For more information, visit redoaknaturecenter.info Shaw Local News NetworkShaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois A North Aurora man is facing multiple felonies stemming from a child sex sting operation conducted by the Cook County sheriff’s office Investigators arrested 63-year-old Gregory White Monday when he arrived at a location believing he was going to meet a 16-year-old According to a press release from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office White had actually been communicating with an undercover officer from the department’s special victims unit via text for several days White also requested and sent sexually explicit photos and videos He ultimately made arrangements to meet the person he believed was a teen “with the intent to engage in sexual acts,” the release stated investigators noted White admitted his plans after being read his Miranda rights White is charged with attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse traveling to meet a minor and manufacturing harmful material His next court date is March 14 at the Bridgeview courthouse North Aurora police can close the case of the 1979 murder of Kathy Halle But they know that while it might bring some comfort to Halle’s family to know who killed her died just two years later while committing another murder “This was a tough one for us,” Detective Ryan Peat said was last seen at her apartment on March 29 She was leaving to pick up her sister from the sister’s job at a store in the Northgate Shopping Center on North Lake Street (Route 31) in Aurora Her car was found in the apartment complex’s parking lot with a puddle of blood behind the driver’s seat Her body was found almost a month later in the Fox River “It (her disappearance and death) was pretty scary,” he said “North Aurora never had issues like this.” Deputy Chief Joe Gorski read a message of thanks from the family He also announced they had asked reporters not to question or contact them Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said Lindahl’s patterns and practices made him a suspect in Halle’s death Lindahl was charged with kidnapping 25-year-old Debra Colliander from the same shopping center But two weeks before Lindahl’s trial in March 1981 Colliander went missing after leaving work Her body was found in 1982 in a farm field in Kendall County Lindahl died in April 1981 while stabbing a man to death in Naperville Lindahl somehow stabbed himself in a femoral artery Lisle police identified Lindahl as a suspect in the murder of 15-year-old Pamela Maurer DNA collected from semen in her clothing was compared to DNA samples in an unspecified public genealogy database Police then exhumed Lindahl’s body to get a DNA sample and directly tied it to the murder Authorities throughout the suburbs were notified to see if any of their open murder cases might be tied to Lindahl North Aurora detectives had some DNA from the Halle case tested by the Illinois State Police in 2000 the DuPage County forensics laboratory found a mixture of two people’s DNA but the sample was too degraded to determine identity learned about another DNA analysis technique M-Vac sprays a sterile solution onto an item while simultaneously loosening any DNA and sucking it out It can get DNA out of fibers below the surface of porous items such as clothing and rocks After receiving a grant from the nonprofit group Seasons of Justice in 2023 to help pay the $10,000 bill for testing police had a Florida laboratory examine the evidence Authorities received the results this past August “We would have authorized charges,” Mosser said “I am confident we would have finally obtained justice for Kathy.” A North Aurora man faces a life sentence after being found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in a 2020 drive-by shooting in Kendall County that left two women dead was convicted after jurors deliberated for about three hours following a four-day trial last week A pretrial status hearing for his case is set for March 31 In what police described as an attempted gangland hit the two were accused of using an AR-15 rifle to shoot into a home on Sierra Road in the unincorporated Boulder Hill subdivision near Oswego on the morning of Nov Cassandra Chatman died shortly afterward at a nearby hospital died from her injuries several months later The intended target of the shooting escaped a black Porsche Cayenne was identified as a suspect vehicle That vehicle was found in North Aurora and followed to a residence where several people The weapon used in the shooting was found in a car that Brown claimed was his according to the Kendall County State’s Attorney’s Office 2025 at 5:15 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}James Brown Jr. of the 200 block of Linn Court in North Aurora (Kendall County Sheriff's Office)NORTH AURORA IL — A Kendall County jury convicted a North Aurora man of two separate charges of first-degree murder connected to a fatal shooting in 2020 Cassandra and Changina Chatman died on Nov after they were struck by bullets in a shooting that was a form of gang retaliation according to Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis After a four-day trial and three-hour jury deliberation will serve a life sentence without parole "due to the senseless deaths of both victims," Weis said when fourteen shots were fired into a house in the Boulder Hill subdivision Six people were inside the residence when the mother and her daughter were struck and killed by bullets a black Porsche Cayenne was identified and sent to local departments as the suspect vehicle The car was later found in North Aurora and followed to a residence where multiple people were taken into custody according to a news release from the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office who self-identified as a Black Disciple street gang member The murder weapon was also found in the car Brown claimed was his Brown has been in custody at the Kendall County jail since Nov which was the prime investigator in the case also increased security at the courthouse during the case due to the gang involvement "Weis [praised] the two veteran prosecutors and agencies involved including the Kendall County Major Crimes Task Force and Oswego Police Department," the release states Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A North Aurora man has been convicted of murdering two women in a gang-related shooting in 2020 Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis announced that 31-year-old James Brown Jr. was found guilty after a four-day jury trial last week on two separate charges of First-Degree Murder The jury found Brown guilty after just 3 hours of deliberation Brown was charged with the murder of both Cassandra and Changina and has remained in custody since his arrest Due to the senseless deaths of both victims Brown will be serving a life sentence without parole 2024 at 9:47 am CDTExpandSlick City Action Park is now open in North Aurora Slick City Action Park is now open in North Aurora is an indoor slide and air court park designed for all ages Featuring aptly named slides including “Mega Launch,” “Fast Lane” and “Royal Flush,” the new North Aurora location marks the next step in Slick City’s expansion into new markets throughout the U.S Slick City currently has five locations open and operating in Colorado “I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude with the growth we have seen in a few short years at Slick City Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are known for their top tier entertainment We’re excited to be joining that list,” Bron Launsby we’ve created an experience unlike any before - with more exhilarating slides Slick City will be a destination for every day fun and group outings North Aurora will be the first Slick City park to feature its newest indoor zip line attraction and the first with an outdoor patio Slick City is located at 1830 Towne Center Drive, North Aurora. For more information, visit slickcity.com SEATTLE — Security footage captured the terrifying moments two suspected pimps shot at each other as they drove down Aurora Avenue North in north Seattle Security footage shows two cars involved in a chase footage shows a woman diving for cover as shots ring out In a sign of the severity of the situation gunfire happened sporadically over several minutes that woman is seen repeatedly cowering behind bushes to avoid being shot The area is believed to be plagued by gang activity an area in north Seattle notorious for gun violence Seattle police said no injuries were reported after the shooting and responding officers were unable to find either vehicle involved in the incident who works along the Aurora Avenue corridor "There’s a very small minuscule percentage causing hell and havoc in this community and others like ours in the city and nothing seems to be getting done when it comes to accountability." there were at least 165 shootings and shots fired incidents in the North Precinct in 2024 people are afraid to shop because they hear about the things going on in the neighborhood and there are so many people around this business district that are working very hard to make this corridor better," Pantoja said While the SPD has not confirmed a motive in other cases residents are demanding accountability and action to address the violence Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000 2024 at 2:50 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Jaime Reyes of the 300 block of South Lincolnway Street in North Aurora IL — Just before a jury trial was set to begin a North Aurora man pleaded guilty to four felony charges related to the sexual abuse of four victims from the late 1990s to 2017 according to the Kendall County State's Attorney's Office State's Attorney Eric Weis announced Thursday that Jaime Reyes pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child Judge Jody Gleason proceeded to sentence him to 30 years in prison in a negotiated plea agreement The Kendall County Sheriff's Office began investigating Reyes whose address is listed as being in the 300 block of South Lincolnway Street when one of the victims came forward about sexual abuse Detectives learned Reyes was "the trusted uncle and occasional babysitter for the four victims" whose abuse began when they were between the ages of 5 and 7 The abuse occurred at multiple addresses in Kendall County and one in Kane County across more than two decades "Reyes would isolate the young victims and would take advantage of his position of trust until they reached the age of puberty," Weis said in a news release He was arrested in early 2022 after charges were approved The cases were scheduled for a jury trial in November when Reyes attempted to harm himself while in custody Reyes will serve the rest of his life in prison — without the victims having to testify in court who prosecuted the case along with Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Cusack Reyes was represented by a public defender "There is no doubt that the world is a safer place with Reyes being in custody," Weis said he took advantage of the trust that his family members had in him to supervise and take care of their young children He preyed on those who were sometimes too young to even understand what was happening My hope is that the victims have some comfort in knowing that Reyes will remain in custody forever I also want to commend the bravery of the victims for coming forward so that this dangerous person can never do this again to anyone." Two North Aurora men are facing felony child pornography charges the Kane County sheriff and state’s attorney announced Tuesday both of the same address in the 1000 block of Selwyn Parkway Cheng is charged with four counts of possession of child pornography and Edens is charged with five counts of possession of child pornography two counts of possession of a firearm without firearm owners identification and possession of ammunition without firearm owners identification Cheng and Edens possessed multiple videos they knew depicted child sexual abuse activities Edens had two guns and ammunition illegally The Kane County Child Exploitation Unit investigated the case Cheng and Edens have been ordered to avoid unsupervised contact with minors and are not to access the internet for anything but work Die Pay-TV-Sender The HISTORY Channel und Crime + Investigation sowie die Streaming-Services HISTORY Play und Crime + Investigation Play werden im deutschsprachigen Raum von Hearst Networks Germany betrieben und vermarktet Hearst Networks Germany wird vertreten durch die Hearst Networks Germany GmbH & Co. KG mit Sitz in München und ist Teil von Hearst Networks EMEA Die Programmangebote von Hearst Networks Germany bestehen zu einem Großteil aus eigenproduzierten Formaten des US-Medienunternehmens A+E Global Media einem international führenden Produzenten im Bereich Factual Entertainment mit exklusiven Serien und Doku-Reihen wie „Oak Island – Fluch und Legende“  und „The First 48“ die Hearst Networks Germany für das deutschsprachige Publikum realisierte „Guardians of Heritage – Hüter der Geschichte“ „The Invisible Line – Die Geschichte der Welle“ und „Im Angesicht“.  Weitere Informationen unter: history.de | crimeandinvestigation.de I hearstnetworks.com Start von „Kevin Costner’s The West“ am Sonntag um 20:15 Uhr als deutsche TV-Premiere auf The HISTORY Channel This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Sheriff says accident was caused by truck brakes locking up The Omel vehicle where it came to rest after colliding head on with a semi tractor on Monday The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting in the investigation of a collision between a pickup and a semi on Monday that took the lives of two occupants of the pickup Hamilton County Sheriff Jeromy McCoy reports the crash occurred at about 3 p.m on Highway 14 near the intersection with County Road 16 which is about three miles north of Aurora.  McCoy said the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2022 Kenworth semi tractor was southbound on Highway 14 when the vehicle’s brakes activated causing the truck to cross the center line where it collided with a northbound 2019 Dodge pickup driven by Nathan Omel Omel died in the crash and a rear passenger where he was hospitalized as of Tuesday morning McCoy said the investigation is still ongoing and noted assistance at the scene was provided by Aurora Police Department "The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office expresses our condolences to the Omel family," McCoy said.  © 2025 Aurora News-Register 2024 at 3:50 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Johnny Cheng​ (left) of the 1000 block of Selwyn Parkway in North Aurora IL — Two North Aurora men are facing multiple felonies after they were found in possession of child pornography according to a joint release from Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser and Sheriff Ron Hain were found in possession of multiple child pornography videos "with full knowledge of their content and nature," the Tuesday news release stated Edens faces additional felony charges — two counts of possession of a firearm without a valid Firearm Owners Identification card and one count of illegal possession of ammunition without a FOID card — after he was found with them on Sept Both men reside in the 1000 block of Selwyn Parkway in North Aurora An investigation into the men was conducted by the Kane County Child Exploitation Unit a collaboration between the state's attorney and sheriff's offices 18 and were released as their criminal cases were pending Stipulations of their release were no unsupervised contact with minors or access to the internet for non-work purposes A network of correspondents providing impartial news reports and analysis in 33 languages from locations around the world Up-to-the-minute news and analysis from around the world and in Chicago Hosted by WBEZ's Mary Dixon and NPR's Steve Inskeep Newshour is the award-winning flagship program of the BBC World Service the world’s largest news gathering operation 1A convenes a conversation about the most important issues of our time smart reflection on world news 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Over the years it has evolved to become a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling Radiolab is hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser North Aurora Police Chief Joe DeLeo adjusts a photo of Kathy Halle before a news conference Wednesday to announce North Aurora Police and the Kane County States’s Attorney’s Office have determined that the late Bruce Lindahl killed 19-year old Halle in March North Aurora Police Department Detective Ryan Peat speaks during a news conference Wednesday about the 1979 murder of 19-year old Kathy Halle North Aurora Police Chief Joe DeLeo speaks during a news conference Wednesday to announce that his department and the Kane County States’s Attorney’s Office have determined that the late Bruce Lindahl who is suspected in several other 1970s murders After receiving a grant from the nonprofit group Seasons of Justice in 2023 to help pay the $10,000 bill for testing Authorities received the results in August Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale 2024 at 9:33 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Officials say they've linked the killing of 19-year-old Kathy Halle to a suspected serial killer Halle left her home to pick up her sister at a shopping center on March 29 (Kane County State's Attorney's Office)NORTH AURORA IL — Police say they have cracked a 45-year-old cold case linking suspected killer Bruce Lindahl to the 1979 murder of Kathy Halle of North Aurora Halle's family released a statement after learning of the news stating they are "incredibly grateful to have closure after 45 years." who is suspected of killing several young women in the 1970s and early 1980s authorities say they used new technology DNA evidence found on Halle's clothing to link her murder to Lindahl left her home on Volks Court in North Aurora on March 29 to pick up her sister at Northgate Shopping Center in Aurora Authorities believe Lindahl abducted Halle from the parking lot of her apartment complex and later dumped her body in the Fox River In 2020, authorities used DNA evidence to link Lindahl to the murder of Pamela Maurer — a 16-year-old girl who was found sexually assaulted and murdered near the intersection of College Road and Maple Avenue in Lisle in 1976 DNA Labs International used the evidence collected by Lisle police to link him to Halle's murder Police said it's possible this DNA evidence and new technology could be used to solve more cold cases State's Attorney Jamie Mosser assured the public — and Halle's family — that if Lindahl was still alive first-degree murder charges would have been filed against him and the case would have went to trial "We would have finally obtained justice for Kathy," Mosser said Wednesday Halle's family thanked law enforcement for never giving up on Kathy and for the kindness and respect they'd shown their family over the years "While revisiting this case has been incredibly difficult for our family we are incredibly grateful to have closure after 45 years," Halle's family said in the statement Charles Huber's Murder and Lindahl's Death Lindahl was found dead in 1981 of accidental self-inflicted wounds after he cut his femoral artery while fatally stabbing Naperville resident Charles Huber Jr. who was a senior at Waubonsie Valley High School DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in 2020 and police determined that he died after accidentally stabbing himself Berlin said Lindahl's DNA may also be used to solve the murder of Debra Colliander an Aurora woman who had accused Lindahl of kidnapping and raping her She disappeared just before she was to testify against him was last seen leaving her job at Aurora's Rush-Copley Hospital on Oct Her body was discovered in a shallow grave in Oswego Township on April 30 According to media reports, Lindahl is a suspect in the 1979 disappearance of Deborah McCall and the 1977 murder of Elizabeth Drews of Downers Grove Police also suspect Lindahl was involved in the 1980 murder of Susan Jabczynski In total, Lindahl may be behind as many as 12 murders and nine rapes in the western suburbs in the 1970s and 1980s 2025) – The Aurora Police Department Major Crimes Homicide Unit has arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred Thursday evening in north Aurora ExpandNorth Aurora Police Chief Joe DeLeo adjusts the positioning of a photo of Kathy Halle prior to the start of a press conference Wednesday The North Aurora Police Department and the Kane County States’s Attorney’s Office announced that they have determined that the late Bruce Lindahl is person who killed 19-year old Halle in March (Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com/Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com) North Aurora Police Department Detective Ryan Peat speaks during a press conference Wednesday (Courtesy/Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com) Mosser speaks during a press conference Wednesday North Aurora Police Chief Joe DeLeo speaks during a press conference Wednesday After receiving a grant from the nonprofit group Seasons of Justice in 2023 to help pay the $10,000 bill for testing, police had a Florida laboratory examine the evidence. Authorities received the results this past August. If Lindahl were still alive, “We would have authorized charges,” Mosser said. “I am confident we would have finally obtained justice for Kathy.” https://www.dailyherald.com/20241023/crime/police-explain-how-they-solved-45-year-old-north-aurora-murder/ Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network North Aurora resident Bettina Sailer felt cheated when her yard did not buzz with the sound of 17-year cicadas She went to other areas of the state where cicadas were plentiful and brought them back to her yard With her yard facing a similar lack of cicadas this year she has been doing the same thing and now has more than 6,000 cicadas in her yard Sailer created new homes for the cicadas underneath insect netting that she has placed over trees in her front yard A sign she has placed in front of her trees fittingly says Come Back Tour 2024 cicadas need to feed on trees almost constantly for most of their lives so they typically are only found in areas that had trees 17 years ago and have continued to have trees since then That’s why you likely will not see cicadas in highly developed areas Sailer’s fascination with cicadas started years ago “A friend had asked me if I wanted to see these bright red-eyed bugs,” Sailer said But then I got used to it and I started picking them up and putting them in a box.” That led to her being interested in them even though she doesn’t like most bugs “They didn’t sting and they didn’t bite and red is my favorite color She displays her love for cicadas through her tattoos her cicada necklace and earrings and her shirt that proudly asks At least one cicada has resurfaced after being underground in her yard for the past 17 years “One came out of the ground in my yard,” Sailer said sparrows still are trying to get at the cicadas “What the sparrows are doing is that they are landing on the netting and they’re pecking at them to eat them,” Sailer said “And sometimes they rip the netting and get in.” Sailer hopes that 17 years from now more cicadas will emerge from her yard She said a few of the cicadas she brought to her yard have been laying eggs Helping her put up the netting was Batavia resident Sylvia Keppel. Sailer and Keppel are members of the Batavia Community Band. They haven’t determined if they can play louder than the buzzing cicadas. “I really like that they have such an odd life cycle, that they go 17 years before emerging,” she said. “It’s very unusual. God makes really strange animals sometimes.”