Family seeking clues in New Lenox Twp. murder
The family of Lance Goebel says the key to cracking the case of his murder may lie in a small Indiana town nearly 200 miles away.
Family members are circulating a flier asking if anyone saw 23-year-old Jason Gonzalez in Angola, Ind., on Sept. 17 or 18.
Gonzalez, who is Goebel's nephew, is being held on $5 million bail at Will County Jail in the Sept. 17 murder of his uncle in New Lenox Township.
Gonzalez pleaded innocent to two counts of first-degree murder during his arraignment Thursday as his relatives looked on. Gonzalez's next court date is Nov. 19.
"It's been very hard," Kim Gonzalez, Jason's mother, said before the hearing while shaking her head.
Kim Gonzalez said police are looking into reports that her son ate dinner at a bar or restaurant near Angola and stopped and asked for directions at a nearby Speedway not long after the murder.
The family is hoping those clues will lead them to the alleged murder weapon, a 9 mm Smith-and-Wesson 2-tone Sigma, and other crucial evidence, including Goebel's ID card, Chevy car keys and the black jeans and orange shirt Gonzalez was wearing when he allegedly killed Goebel.
Representatives of the Angola Police Department and Steuben County, Ind., Sheriff's Department said they were unaware of any investigation in their area. Will County sheriff's police spokesman Pat Barry confirmed that detectives have the information on Angola but declined to comment further on the investigation.
"They're looking at many different places," Barry said.
Gonzalez's family members have pointed to his history of mental illness as a possible explanation for the crime. Gonzalez was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder while serving in the Army at Guantanamo Bay, his mother said, and was discharged from the military three years ago.
Kim Gonzalez said that while she loves her son, her priority now is to seek justice for her murdered brother.
"The truth needs to be told. I found hard evidence pointing directly to my son as the murderer," she said. "Jason needs help, but he also needs to be held responsible for his actions. No one is safe if he is released in his current condition."
