Jury convicts man of murder in Crystal Lake disappearance

The Brief

  • A Kane County jury convicted Douglas Ottesen of first-degree murder and concealing a homicide.
  • The victim, James Cromwell of Crystal Lake, was found buried in a makeshift container in Hampshire Township.
  • Ottesen faces 45 years to life in prison.

CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. A Kane County jury has found a man guilty of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death in the killing of a man who disappeared while planning a trip to Florida.

What we know:

Douglas Ottesen, 62, was convicted of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. The verdict followed a trial stemming from the 2024 killing of 57-year-old James Cromwell of Crystal Lake.

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