Chicago police were left stunned after the slaughter of a local couple and their two children. The investigation linked the killing to another couple but the details suggest the crime was a meticulously pre-meditated plot.
Last week, Chicago investigators released over 100 pages of notes detailing the events leading up to Sept. 17, 2023, according to documents obtained by ABC 7 Chicago. Investigators found the fateful incident stemmed from the relationship between engaged couple Nathanial Huey Jr. and Ermalinda Palomo. Police said Paloma found out her fiancée was having an affair with his coworker, Zoraida Bartolomei.
Paloma made a fake social media account to troll Huey into being faithful and convince him to stop entertaining other women. The scheme went on for years until she convinced Huey he was under surveillance by a drug cartel organization. He fell for the ruse.
The Alleged Murder Plot
On Sept. 14, 2023 investigators said Palomo sent Huey a message from a fake number warning him that the mole who was targeting him from the make-believe cartel was Bartolomei, the woman with whom he was having an affair. Police said he then took off work the days following the warning and began plotting a crime.
The night of Sept, 17, 2023, police responded to Bartolomei’s home for a welfare check after the family stopped hearing from her. Officers said inside the home they found her dead along with her husband, Alberto Rolon, their 7-year-old and 9-year-old boys as well as their three dogs. Investigators said the family was killed with a 9 millimeter gun and accused Huey of being the shooter.
The report says police files revealed Paloma tried to assist Huey in planning the crime by instructing him to “cause damage to make the scene appear to be a burglary committed by kids,” the report says. In their messages, Paloma told Huey that “many murders go unsolved.”
The Horrifying Aftermath
When taken in for questioning, Paloma told officers her fiancée was home at the time of the killing. Both denied having involvement in the killing and were free to go, the report says. However, the next day, the two fled town to Catoosa, Okla. They fled local law enforcement but crashed their vehicle following a speed chase, police said.
Following that moment, Huey decided the game was over and shot Paloma to death. He then turned the gun on himself and took his life. It’s unclear if he ever knew his wife-to-be was the one who influenced him.
Though the year-long investigation finally came to a cease, the families of the deceased may struggle to find closure in such a horrid event.
“The tragic deaths of a young family, including two young children, will forever impact the surviving family and those that investigated this case. Nothing can prepare a person for such an incident, and nothing can justify such a senseless act of violence. Although finalized, the finality of this case unfortunately does not mean closure for so many continuing to grieve,” said Romeoville Police Chief Brant Hromadka in a statement, via ABC7.