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Mother Of Kankakee Murder Victim: 'I Want Them To Burn In Hell For Taking My Rock'

CHICAGO (CBS) - Firefighters say they made an alarming discovery following a deadly fire inside a business.

Police say they found a body after putting out the fire around 5:15 a.m. Thursday.

Officers say the man found inside was murdered. The coroner's office says Spitzig was shot in the head.

The fire happened in Kankakee on Harrison Avenue and Locust Street.

After firefighters gained control of the flames, the Kankakee business was left in a charred state.

CBS 2's Jeremy Ross spoke with the victim's family.

"To be honest, I'm in extreme shock right now. I am holding my strength together for my two children as best as I can," said Peggy Wirtel, the victim's mother.

Wirtel says her son, 23-year-old Anthony Spitzig, worked inside the business. She describes him as a loving family member who was interested in electronics as a young boy and eventually car repair as an adult.

Anthony Spitzig
Anthony Spitzig, 23, was found dead after a fire in an auto repair facility in Kankakee on May 17, 2018. An autopsy determined he had been shot in the head. (Family Photo)

She says he was the head mechanic at the tire and auto repair business that burned early Thursday morning.

The owner of the business described the final time he spoke to Spitzig the night before.

"He said you need to close it up and I'm getting out of here," said Wirtel. "That was the last time he talked to him at 10:30 so that's the last known thing we know."

When asked if she knew if her son had any enemies, Wirtel responded, "Not at all, not at all." CBS 2's asked Wirtel what she hopes happens to the person or people responsible for her son's death. She replied, "Oh, I absolutely want them to burn in hell for taking my rock, my family."

The cause of the fire and Spitzig's death remains under investigation.

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