A month after 4 family members killed in Crystal Lake home, details still scarce

Ashlyn Nolan was in her Crystal Lake home watching the TV morning news and getting ready for a nap before heading to work later in the day when her doorbell rang.

It was around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, and police investigators were at her door regarding an overnight shooting three doors down on the block where she lives on the 5800 block of Wild Plum Road. Her fiancé had come home from work that morning to find police vehicles all over their street, and he had to ask for permission to park in their driveway.

Police, who would later disclose that four family members were killed in a domestic attack, were checking to see Nolan had seen or heard anything. Did she have security footage that might help them investigate the shooting?

“We had the windows open and didn’t hear anything,” Nolan said, adding that she was up around the time of the shooting and considered going to the mailbox to check for mail she thought she forgot.

It’s been almost a month since the four adult family members died after a reported shooting in their unincorporated Crystal Lake home. But beyond saying that one unidentified woman who called 911 survived the attack, there has been little else from authorities.

The names of the people who were killed inside the home were released in the hours after the attack. Authorities have offered little narrative beyond that about what might have prompted the fatal attack.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office have no updated information on the deaths of Jean Song, 44; Lauren Smith-Song, 32; Chang Song, 73; and Yuna Song, 49. The office, however, has not released a cause of their deaths.

One woman, who made the 911 phone call, initially survived the attack. Police said she was in the hospital in serious condition on Aug. 10. Her name, current health condition and any other details have not been released.

Jean Song, the alleged “aggressor,” died from his injuries after being taken to a hospital, police said.

Authorities say that it will take “months” for further details to be released since it is considered an “ongoing investigation.”

There has been some activity at the home, since the Aug. 9 shooting.

Following the killings, the Northwest Herald submitted Freedom of Information Act requests with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for the 911 call and police dashcam and bodycam footage, among other things. Both requests were denied, with the sheriff’s office saying the ongoing investigation was the reason for the denials.

Other details were included in police reports.

The Song family had two cats in the home named Eleanor and Theodore, according to McHenry County Animal Control records. Theodore was taken under animal control care, but Eleanor was not found by police or by the cleaning company who entered the home as of Aug. 16.

Theodore was adopted on Aug. 22, according to animal control records. It is unknown if Eleanor was ever found.

According to police reports, the back door of the home appeared to have been broken into at about midnight on Aug. 16. Police entered the home and did not find anyone in there and nothing appeared to be stolen. No charges were made.

Neighbor Debra Gummerson said the neighborhood is “very friendly” and said there has not been any suspicious activity. She did say she saw some “looky-loos” in the days following the shooting, but the neighborhood generally has been kept in the dark in regard to updates.

She expressed concern for the surviving woman and said “everyone is concerned” about her.

“I couldn’t imagine going back to that house,” she said. “We don’t know how to help and we all want to.”

In the days following the shooting, Nolan said she, too, saw people driving slowly around the cul-de-sac, but sees fewer now.

“It’s not really respectful,” Nolan said. “They’re also invading our privacy.”

Still, Nolan said she was “thankful” the police were there early on, and she isn’t upset there haven’t been many updates since the days after the shooting.

“They don’t owe me anything,” Nolan said.

Neighbor Cathy Berry said that she hasn’t heard any answers or updates, other than what is on the news.

“How do you go forward?” Berry said. “The whole thing is just so so sad.”