Cook County State's Attorney's Office:
Press Releases

Richard A. Devine
Cook County State's Attorney
500 Richard J. Daley Center
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 603-3423
www.statesattorney.org

Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine today announced first-degree murder charges against a Chicago man in the murders last month of a minister and his daughter in Buffalo Grove.

Russell Sedelmaier, 44, of 3713 N. Kenneth Ave., Chicago, was charged in the murder of Rev. Ivon Harris, 65, and his daughter, Sarah, 24. They were found dead by firefighters responding to a blaze in their home at 883 Saxon Place, Buffalo Grove, on June 29.

Following a lengthy investigation by the Buffalo Grove Police Department and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, the charges were placed Thursday. Sedelmaier appeared before Judge Karen Thompson Tobin, who denied bond. The crime is eligible for the death penalty.

"We would like to thank the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and the Buffalo Grove police for their tireless work in bringing charges in this troubling case," Devine said. "This marks the first time in a Cook County Case in which the interrogation and confession were videotaped under the new law that went into effect Monday."

It is also believed to be the first homicide case in the state in which the interrogation and the confession were taped under the law mandating videotaping of interrogations in homicide cases that went into effect after July 18. The Cook County State's Attorney's office has taped more than 1,300 confessions since it began the practice in August 1999.

DNA evidence recovered from the murder scene linked Sedelmaier to the crime. The DNA testing and fingerprint analysis was developed at the Northern Illinois Police Crime Laboratory.

In his confession, Sedelmaier detailed how he tied up the victims first and then beat them and slashed their throats before setting the house on fire.

He is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated arson, and one count of home invasion, both Class X felonies punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

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