Police reports shed more light on Sycamore double-shooting death of mother, son

SYCAMORE – Sycamore police reports obtained by the Daily Chronicle through the Freedom of Information Act provide more context about the circumstances of the Feb. 21 double shooting above a fence shop on Coltonville Road which left a mother and son dead.

At 6:51 p.m. Feb. 21, Sycamore police responded to the residence above the fence company about a woman being shot during a domestic disturbance, according to police report documents. All of the lower level doors were locked and police found a ladder on the west side of the building leading up to a balcony, which was snow covered and undisturbed, and police forced their way into the apartment.

“As I entered the kitchen, I saw a female in a standing position, hunched over and lifeless,” police wrote in the report. “On the floor, I saw a male face down with a pool of blood next to his head. I saw a pistol exposed partially under the male’s body.”

The two adults were later identified as Connor A. Roesch, 26, of Sycamore and Sarah R. Roesch, 49, of Shabbona, according to police.

“We don’t think there’s any danger to the public from this incident,” Sycamore Police Chief Jim Winters previously said. “It was isolated.”

Police described both adults as having obvious gunshot wounds and not breathing. Sarah Roesch had four gunshot wounds in her upper body and Connor Roesch had two gunshot wounds to the head.

“A cell phone was near the body, on the left side near the waist area” of Connor Roesch, police wrote.

DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller previously said the autopsies for both Roesches happened Feb. 22. He said the office determined both mother and son died from their gunshot wounds, Sarah’s death by apparent homicide and her son’s by apparent suicide. Both were pronounced dead on the scene once police forced their way into the apartment upstairs in the Fence Sales building.

Miller said the toxicology results for both adults are still pending.

“I don’t foresee anything [coming of that] for either of them,” Miller said.

Officers also did not find anybody else in the building, the police report read.

Remembered as a doting mother to Connor, Sarah Roesch was a people person, those close to her said, working as a long-time server at The Junction Eating Place in DeKalb and as a cosmetologist, licensed since at least 2005, state records show.

In a recent social media post, The Junction shared photos of the slain mother, calling her family and writing, “To say we are sad for the loss of you and Connor is an understatement.”

According to Sycamore police reports, there also were broken hair clippers on the counter, a towel on a chair and dark hair on the chair and kitchen floor in the apartment’s kitchen. There also was another bullet casing on the chair.

“The hair was consistent with that of the male and the female appeared to have just given him a haircut,” police wrote.

Police determined Connor Roesch was the sole occupant of the residence, according to the report.

An employee of Fence Sales of Sycamore -- at 1851 Coltonville Road, the same building which housed the second floor apartment where the homicide occurred -- told police that Connor Roesch “does not like his mom” and they did not have a good relationship, according to the report. The employee said Connor Roesch “never thought he was good enough for his parents” and that workers started to notice a change in his behavior recently – so much so they started locking the doors to the business and some workers did not want to be left alone with him.

“[Redacted name] recalled a recent incident, approximately two weeks ago, where [redacted name] could hear Connor yelling in his upstairs apartment ‘you [expletives],’ " police wrote. “This startled [redacted name] and [their] fellow co-workers, who heard this outburst.”

The employee also recalled times when Sarah Roesch would try to help Connor Roesch and clean his bathroom or apartment, which would upset Connor Roesch.

“Anything she [Sarah] did, Connor hated,” the employee told police, according to the report.

According to police documents, video surveillance from Feb. 21 of the building in the 1800 block of Coltonville Road, which was timestamped as it appeared from the video system, showed the following:

• 2:37 p.m.: A blue Cadillac SUV drives into the parking lot at 1851 Coltonville Road.

• 2:38 p.m.: Sarah Roesch is seen exiting the SUV before taking a bag from the vehicle. She approaches the southwest front door of the business but can’t come in because the door is locked. She then goes back to her vehicle.

• 2:39 p.m.: Sarah Roesch exits her vehicle and walks back up to the southwest front door.

• 2:40 p.m.: The southwest front door is opened for Sarah Roesch.

• 3:23 p.m.: Sycamore police arrive on scene, followed by the Sycamore Fire Department.

• 3:25 p.m.: Police are seen walking toward the north side of the building.

• From 3:37 p.m. to 3:41 p.m.: Sycamore police officers are seen clearing the garage area of the business.

• 3:56 p.m.: A witness, whose name is redacted, arrives at the scene and speaks with police.

• 3:59 p.m.: A witness, whose name is redacted, leaves the scene in a truck.

• 4:17 p.m.: Police detectives arrive on scene.

The investigation remains ongoing, authorities have said.