Naperville Woman Found Dead In Apparent Murder

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (STMW) --  The Naperville woman found beaten to death Wednesday night in her home apparently knew her killer, Naperville police told the Naperville Sun Thursday. 

The Sun on Thursday received information that police found no sign of forced entry into the home of Cathleen A. Lewis, 59, and that Lewis most likely knew her assailant and willingly allowed him or her inside her townhouse.

"I would say that that information would be correct," police department spokesman said Sgt. Gregg Bell said when contacted by The Sun.

Bell late Thursday afternoon also issued a written statement, seeking help from the public in locating Lewis' brother, Mark R. Lewis, 51, of Lakemoor.

Investigators "would like to confirm Mr. Lewis is OK, and to notify him of his sister's death," the statement said. Lewis might be driving a green, 1999 Ford Explorer with an Illinois license plate of 775 8696, according to the statement.

The release did not indicate whether Mark Lewis is a suspect in the murder or wanted for questioning. Relatives reportedly had not heard from him for several days.

A half-dozen marked and unmarked police vehicles remained Thursday afternoon at the scene of the slaying. Yellow plastic crime scene tape encircled the gray-colored, eight-unit condominium building on the 2300 block of Worthing Drive, in the Chestnut Creek area abutting the Old Farm/Old Saw Mill neighborhood.

Police were called to the scene Wednesday evening to perform a "well-being check" at Lewis' home. They found her body there.

The Will County coroner's office said Lewis was pronounced dead at 7:47 p.m. Wednesday. An autopsy performed Thursday concluded she suffered "multiple head injuries … due to assault," according to a coroner's office statement.

A woman who lives in a townhouse adjacent to Lewis' said the crime was heartbreaking.

"It's very, very sad," said the woman, who declined to be identified.

Another neighbor who also declined to be named said while she did not know Lewis well, she was friendly to others up and down their block.

"I'd see her taking out her recycling," the neighbor said of Lewis. "We'd give each other a nice wave, just being friendly, being neighborly."

She said the murder was a shock in a normally quiet neighborhood.

"It's just sad what happened, especially in a neighborhood like this," she said.

Lewis' murder is Naperville's first in nearly three years.

Those who believe they have information about Lewis' slaying or the whereabouts of her brother were asked to call Naperville police, (630) 420-6147.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.