Lyons Brothers Released As Forensic Experts Sift Through Evidence

LYONS, IL — Two brothers who police said told authorities they buried their mother and sister in the backyard of their Center Avenue home after the women died of accident and illness were released without charges Monday, according to a spokesman.

The brothers, identified as 45-year-old Michael Lelko and 41-year-old John Lelko, were arrested last weekend after police conducted a wellness check and found the residence uninhabitable with feces around the home and "hoarder-like conditions," according to Lyons Police Chief Thomas Herion. The two men said they buried their family members' bodies after their mother died of an accident and their sister died of an illness, according to police.

Herion said the brothers remain the focus of a death investigation, but that both have severe mental health issues and could be looking at charges for illegal burial.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office released the brothers Monday after holding them for 48 hours without filing charges. The medical examiner's office has not determined a cause of death for the two women whose bodies were found at the home on Saturday.

Forensic experts spent the weekend sifting through filing cabinets, debris and other items inside the home and backyard, officials said. The house is now boarded up, according to neighbors.

There is no record of either the mother or sister's death with the state. Officials said the two brothers are being assisted by a social services agency.