- Illinois, Lake County, USA -
On January 6, a deputy with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office went to a home in the 0-100 block of Hilltop Avenue in Fox Lake to enforce a court-ordered eviction.
The Sheriff’s office wrote in their Facebook post that one of the occupants, 33-year-old CATHRYN N. FRANKE (pictured below), attempted to slam the door on the deputy.
Once the officer was inside the property, he was overwhelmed by a strong foul odor.
Inside the home, there was another person who was also living there identified as 38-year-old THOMAS J. GILHHOLY (pictured below).
The deputy asked the couple to leave the property, and they both did.
The officer walked through the house, where he discovered five dead dogs all in different stages of decomposition, and two dead cats in advanced stages of decomposition.
The home with covered with the poor furbabies’ urine and feces.
Fox Lake Police was then called in as the property was in their jurisdiction.
The Sheriff’s Office Facebook post continues to say that Fox Lake Police and village authorities worked together to continue the investigation into FRANKE and GILHOOLY.
Following their investigation, on March 16, 2020, Fox Lake Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for FRANKE and GILHOOLY for seven counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
The couple were finally arrested on April 14, 2020. They were located in a home in the 8900 block of David Place, Des Plaines.
The pair were transported to the Lake County Jail and remained on a $100,000.00 bail.
The couple are scheduled to appear back in court on April 17, 2020.
