Two charged in stabbing of 70-year-old man

Two people are awaiting extradition from Kentucky after being charged in connection with the murder of a 70-year-old man last week in his far north suburban home.

David Queen of unincorporated Antioch was pronounced dead at his home in the 40200 block of North Deep Lake Road about 4 p.m. Thursday, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Richard Keller.

An autopsy Friday revealed Queen died of multiple stab wounds, including wounds to the upper back and chest, Keller said.

Jason L. Baker has been charged in a warrant with two counts of first-degree murder and his bond was set at $4 million, according to a release from the Lake County Sheriff’s office.

Kimberly Caldwell is charged with one count of felony obstruction of justice in connection with the murder. Her bond on the warrant was set at $500,000, the release said.

Both Baker and Caldwell are in Knox County, Ky., awaiting extradition, the release said.

Through the investigation, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies learned that Baker and Caldwell had been living with Queen for just over a week. “We had a tip that these individuals had left town,” said Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran. He added that Caldwell had apparently told her employer, the Las Vegas Restaurant in Antioch, that she was leaving town and moving to Kentucky.

Following leads, investigators learned that Caldwell had previously lived in Kentucky. She and Baker were located in Kentucky and apprehended by Knox County deputies on warrants for obstruction of justice just before noon on Feb. 4.

“These guys are phenomenal,” Curran said of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigators who solved the case. “Within 12 hours, they were able to track these people down.”

Investigators have since learned that Queen was the owner of the property but was renting space to Baker, Caldwell and a third individual in his home, part of which had been converted into apartment space.

Curran said what authorities know so far is that around midnight on Feb. 4, “our suspect, Jason Baker, was in there with Mr. Queen and an altercation did occur and (Baker) did stab (Queen) multiple times.”

Baker dragged the body around and made it look like a robbery had occurred in the home, Curran said.

“There’s nothing to show there was much taken by way of a robbery,” Curran said.

The body was discovered by the third individual who had been living in the home. That individual had apparently been hanging out with Baker and Caldwell the night before in a common area of the house. Upon trying to return to that common area, the individual wasn’t able to get back in, Curran said, and decided to have a few beers and go to sleep.

When the individual tried to get into the common area again in the morning, he again wasn’t able to and found it suspicious. After looking through a window, the man discovered Queen’s body and called 911, Curran said. Queen had 25 defense wounds on his body, Curran added.

After obtaining a search warrant of Queen’s home, investigators recovered two knives, one of which was covered in blood and is believed to be the murder weapon, Curran said.

“We need to be careful who we rent to,” said Curran. “Mr. Queen did not deserve this. He did not do anything wrong.”

Lake County Sheriff’s police are investigating.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.