Crime & Safety
Carbon Monoxide Found in Systems of Father and Son Found Dead in Garage
County coroner says cause of death is still uncertain, awaits result of toxicology report.
Preliminary autopsy results for Joseph and Wyland Schmitt revealed amounts of carbon monoxide in their systems, Kendall County Coroner Ken Toftoy said.
Joseph R. Schmitt, 35, and his 4-year-old son were found dead in the garage of their home on the 300 block of Bertram Drive Wednesday afternoon. Yorkville police visited the house to conduct a wellness check on the pair, police said.
Although the toxin was found in their system after a Friday morning autopsy, Toftoy said he could not yet confirm whether the levels of the toxin were lethal.
Find out what's happening in Yorkvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Authorities will await the result of a toxicology report to determine if carbon monoxide was the cause of death. The report will also indicate if any other drugs or toxins were in their systems, Toftoy said. The toxicology screening was sent to a private laboratory in Pennsylvania and results should be available within 10 days.
“We won’t be able to indicate a cause of death until we get those reports back,” Toftoy said Friday afternoon.
Find out what's happening in Yorkvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Schmitt was found on the floor of the garage and Wyland was found unrestrained in a chair. When authorities entered the garage, the family vehicle was not running, but the keys were in the ignition and the gas tank was empty, leading investigators to believe the vehicle had been running, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Schmitt and his wife, Kyle Weber of Naperville, were in the process of getting a divorce, according to neighbors and the Tribune report.
Yorkville Police Chief Richard Hart said authorities are waiting on autopsy results before making any statements regarding the death of the two Schmitts.
Residents of the Bristol Bay neighborhood have expressed shock over the incident.
"It was a complete shock to everybody,” said neighbor Andrew Meyer, 18. “Me and my mom came home and saw all these cop cars. We’re like what happened? Did someone break in, was someone hurt?”
Meyer said he spent time at the home over the summer helping mow the lawn because Schmitt had back problems.
“Wyland was a cute kid,” Meyer said. “He always wanted to play with me every time I was over there.”
On the Yorkville Patch Facebook page, reader Linda Bell said she knew the family, adding, "if this is what it looks like ... just can't even fathom this."
