On June 5, 2024, a tragic incident occurred in Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of two brothers, John Austwick and Marc Austwick. John Austwick, 60 years old, and his brother Marc Austwick, 63 years old, were found deceased outside a house fire on Park Avenue West in Highland Park. The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the victims and confirmed that both men died from multiple gunshot wounds, rather than the fire itself.
The preliminary investigation by the Highland Park Police Department and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force revealed that the brothers had gone to the house to discuss the property with their youngest brother, Jeffrey S. Austwick, 54. The property was owned by their mother, Phyllis Austwick, who had passed away on May 31, 2024, at Evanston Hospital due to a medical issue.
According to the investigation, after Marc and John arrived at the house, Jeffrey Austwick allegedly shot his brothers and then set the house on fire. Jeffrey then fled the area in his vehicle. A nationwide arrest warrant was issued for Jeffrey Austwick on June 5, 2024, for two counts of murder. He was subsequently arrested on June 7, 2024, at approximately 5:30 a.m. at a park in St. Louis, Missouri, by local authorities. Jeffrey Austwick remains in custody in Missouri pending an initial court hearing.
The incident was reported around 3:50 a.m. on June 5, 2024, when Highland Park police and firefighters responded to a residential structure fire. Firefighters found the house heavily involved in flames and discovered the two brothers dead in the grass outside the home. The fire was eventually extinguished with the help of other fire departments, and no other victims were found inside or outside the home.
The community has rallied around the family, with John’s daughter, Samantha, organizing a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help support John’s wife, Laura, and their two daughters, Samantha and Kelsy. The donations will go towards John’s funeral and to support Kelsy’s upcoming law school graduation, a milestone John was looking forward to.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, the Illinois State Fire Marshal, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service. Authorities have stated that the murders appear to be isolated, and there is no known threat to the community.
