Crest Hill Murder Victim Just Pleaded Guilty To 2023 Money Theft

CREST HILL — Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark told Joliet Patch on Friday that his agency is making progress in hopes of solving the Thursday morning killing of 43-year-old Timothy Wells, who lived at the Arbor Lane apartments for the past several years. Wells was fatally shot outside the building around 6:30 a.m., and his killer got away before police and paramedics arrived.

"There are several agencies involved, and they're making some progress," Clark told Joliet Patch on Friday afternoon. "It's very active and ongoing."

A week earlier, Crest Hill and Joliet police investigated a shootout involving at least three gunmen, as people shot at one another across Theodore Street, and several bullets struck the legendary Merichka's Family Restaurant; luckily, no one was injured in the shootout, but none of the gunmen involved in that crime has been arrested in connection with that case.

On Friday, Chief Clark relayed that Crest Hill police have no evidence linking the Merichka's shooting spree to Thursday morning's death of Wells at the Woodlands of Crest Hill apartments on Arbor Lane.

At this point, Crest Hill police have not released any surveillance photos identifying any murder suspects or getaway vehicles used in the killing of Wells.

"Right now, we want to keep some things close to the vest," Clark explained.

Incidentally, Wells was just at the Will County Courthouse two weeks before his homicide, pleading guilty and being sentenced for a crime of theft. His crime happened in 2023 and the Woodridge Police Department did the investigation.

According to his criminal complaint, Wells stole cash for a man on March 16, 2023. As part of his recent sentencing on March 27, Wells was given 12 months of court supervision from Judge Marzell Richardson and ordered to stay away from the man he stole money and have no contact at all with his theft victim's address in Oak Forest.

Clark said his Crest Hill investigators would look into the Woodridge police case to see if it could have any ties to Wells' killing.

On Thursday, the Crest Hill Police Department announced the killing of Wells appeared to be a targeted slaying and there was no danger or threat to the community.