Prosecutors file first-degree murder charges against man wanted in connection with Algonquin double homicide

Prosecutors on Friday approved first-degree murder charges against the 36-year-old Algonquin man who on Wednesday was charged with hiding his mother’s and stepfather’s bodies in a U-Haul truck.

Maxim Parnov was arrested Thursday morning in Wisconsin in connection with the deaths of his mother, 56-year-old Elvira Almen, and his stepfather, 64-year-old Peter M. Almen, prosecutors said. The three lived together in the 400 block of La Fox River Drive in Algonquin.

At the time of his arrest, Parnov was wanted in McHenry County on two counts of concealing a homicidal death. Prosecutors with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Friday approved four additional counts of first-degree murder against Parnov, court records show.

Parnov now is accused of causing blunt force trauma to both Elvira and Peter Almen, resulting in their deaths, according to a new criminal complaint filed as a separate case Friday in McHenry County court. Parnov and the pair had been arguing beforehand, McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said.

Court records did not specifically detail how the blunt force trauma occurred. Police also have not disclosed where specifically the bodies were found.

Although autopsies for Elvira and Peter Almen were performed Thursday, their causes of death are “pending due to the ongoing investigation,” the McHenry County Coroner’s Office said in a news release Friday.

Both Peter and Elvira Almen were happy people, said Leslie McNutt, a manager and vet tech at Algonquin Animal Clinic, where they would take their pets.

Elvira Almen would come in smiling and ready to hug her friends there, said Rebekah Fischer, McNutt’s daughter who is a vet tech at the clinic.

She always made it a point to ask about what was happening in staff’s lives, Fischer added.

“We loved her,” McNutt said. “She was just a wonderful, wonderful woman. She was that kind of person that you just fell in love with.”

The Algonquin police investigation began Tuesday, when officers were called to the 400 block of La Fox River Drive for a well-being check, police have said.

Peter and Elvira Almen’s bodies were discovered about noon Wednesday, according to a news release at the time.

A warrant for Parnov’s arrest was issued that day, and on Thursday, officers arrested Parnov at a residence in Salem, Wisconsin, according to a separate news release.

It was not immediately clear when Parnov might be extradited to Illinois. Kenosha County jail records showed that Parnov was booked at the county jail just before 6:30 p.m. Thursday and remained there as of noon Friday.

His bond was set at $5 million, according to the Algonquin Police Department.

Generally when a request has been made to extradite someone to Illinois, the defendant can wave extradition, meaning officials would be permitted to travel to Wisconsin and bring the individual back to Illinois, Kenneally said. If they were to challenge the extradition request, however, prosecutors could seek a governor’s warrant, Kenneally said.

It was unclear Friday evening whether an extradition request had been filed in Parnov’s case.

This is a developing story. Check www.nwherald.com for updates.