Sept. 23--A mother and a daughter who were discovered in a vehicle that was found on fire in a forest preserve in Palos Park late Saturday evening were strangled, officials said.
At about 11:45 p.m., firefighters were called to the Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve near the intersection of Ford and Wolf Road, said Cook County Sheriff's Spokesman Ben Breit.
The women, reportedly a mother a daughter from Chicago, were in their 70s and 50s, said Breit. Their names were not immediately available, he said.
When crews arrived, they found a Chrysler PT Cruiser fully engulfed, Breit said. After putting out the fire, officials discovered two bodies inside the vehicle, he said.
After the gruesome discovery, investigators searched the area with dogs and a helicopter.
An autopsy conducted today determined that both people had been strangled and their deaths have been ruled homicides, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Officials said the charred remains of the vehicle were taken to the medical examiner's office along with the bodies.
Officials have opened a homicide investigation, said Briet.
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