Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Cmdr. George Filenko addresses the gathered press, during a Nov. 4 conference, to announce that Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Gliniewicz’s death was a suicide. Filenko retired March 2, from the task force.

After 11 years with the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, George Filenko issued a March 2 announcement of his intention to retire from the group, with an effective date of April 1, while retaining his position as police chief with the Round Lake Park police department.

Filenko, 60, spent the last six years as the task force’s commander and was involved with many high-profile criminal cases, including the suicide of Fox Lake police officer Lt. Charles Gliniewicz and the interrogation of Melissa Calsinski. The Gliniewicz investigation thrust Filenko, as well as the task force, into the national spotlight and caused controversy with its investigation.

He is being replaced as the task force leader by Det. Kyle Helgensen, of the Zion Police Department, in an acting capacity. Helgensen served as the assistant task force commander for the last six years, and has been a member for the last nine years.

“This is absolutely a great loss, and we’re happy that he will get to spend much deserved time with his family,” said Det. Chris Covelli, spokesperson with the Lake County sheriff’s department, during a phone conversation. “He is a tremendous leader, and will be sorely missed by the task force.”

The task force is a consortium of various police departments and law enforcement agencies within Lake County, which supplies the best available resources of personnel, equipment, and facilities to an evolving major crime situation. Funding is derived through the individual municipalities, or agencies, that respond or are requested to respond.

Requests for comment from Filenko, through the Round Lake Park police department were turned away and referred to Covelli.

“He was thinking about retiring last year, and looking forward to a tentative date last fall, then the Gliniewicz suicide occurred,” Covelli said. “He didn’t want to leave the task force at that point, as a matter of duty. Right now, there is a lull, and no additional cases, so the time is right. It’s a perfect opportunity for him to take time with his family.”

The Sept. 1 death of Gliniewicz set in motion a massive 48-hour manhunt for three suspects, with a nebulous description from the officer, and came up empty. The task force, with Filenko in charge, embarked on a two-month homicide investigation that placed his quote, “This is not a sprint, it is a marathon,” into the public lexicon.

Stories that the death was actually a suicide were spreading by Sept. 9, along with allegations of obstructing justice through a “cover-up” were being leveled at the task force. Lake County Coroner Dr. Thomas Rudd made a statement on an inability to list a definitive cause of death, without more information from the task force, added more fuel to the suicide theory.

In a mid-September press release, on Lake County sheriff’s department stationary, Filenko blasted Rudd for “compromising the investigation.” The schism brought more scrutiny from the public and media outlets on the investigation, where Covelli noted, “Nothing is off the table.”

Rudd and Covelli appeared at a Nov. 4 press conference, where Filenko stated the death was “a carefully staged suicide masked as a homicide.” A motivating cause was indicated to be the discovery of Gliniewicz’s malfeasance and “embezzlement” with Fox Lake Explorer Post 300 funds under his custodianship, supported by Federal Bureau of Investigation-supplied bank records, coupled with thousands of email and text messages.

“I am very surprised at his retirement announcement,” said Rudd, after learning of Filenko’s decision. “There is really no more to say other than I wish him well.”

CNN’s documentary featuring the Gliniewicz case, which aired last month, contained interviews with Filenko that highlighted his fact-finding and investigative skills during the investigation that brought the eventual conclusion of suicide. The complimentary nature of the broadcast piece toward Filenko encouraged rumors of the task force paying for the production.

“That is pure baloney,” said Covelli. “We made no payment, there were no donations toward paying for it. It was 100 percent completely done by their production team.”

Filenko and Rudd also figured prominently in the case of Melissa Calusinski, who was found guilty in the 2009 death of 18-month old toddler Benjamin Kingan. As task force members, Filenko, and Det. Charles Curran, interrogated Calusinski over nine consecutive hours using scenario suggestions and intimidation.

The confession has alleged to have been coerced, and followed a pattern employed in other interrogations by the task force, founded on methods laid out by the John Reid Institute. Six major murder convictions in Lake County have subsequently been overturned since 2010, largely due to faulty confessions that were the backbone of criminal proceedings.

Calusinski’s confession that she threw the child down causing a skull fracture aided in her conviction, through two trials. Last year, Rudd located the original X-rays showing no skull fracture but displayed a pre-existing injury that was downplayed. The cause of death was changed, from homicide to undetermined.

Armed with a review that refutes the autopsy findings, and an affidavit from the autopsy physician stating his cause of death was erroneously made, this evidence will be presented by her attorneys at a March 1 hearing before Lake County circuit court judge Daniel Shanes, as a gateway toward a new trial.

The task force’s Board of Directors, chaired by Vernon Hills police chief Mark

Fleischaur, will meet next week to formally accept Filenko’s retirement announcement.

Filenko will informally remain with the task force in an advisory role, on an “as-needed” basis.

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— Lake Co. crime task force leader announces retirement —