Week in Review: Potential motive in Romeoville family murders • New Illinois laws • Oakbrook Terrace shooting

CHICAGO - Police revealed a connection between a murdered family and their killer three months after their deaths, new laws will be taking effect come January, two men tried to rob a 72-year-old woman at a Tinley Park Jewel and a woman allegedly followed a group after an argument at an Oakbrook Terrace hotel pool and fatally shot a man.

Here is FOX 32 Chicago's Week in Review.

1. Romeoville family murders: Police release connection between killer, family of four murdered; New details were released Thursday in the gruesome killings of a suburban family, nearly three months after their bodies were discovered in their Romeoville home.

Police have revealed that the killer did not act alone and that the suspect was in a relationship with one of his victims.

2. 3 Chicago women flee Oak Brook Ulta store after stealing merchandise: prosecutors; Three Chicago women are accused of stealing merchandise from an Ulta store in Oak Brook Monday afternoon.

Damonica Stewart, 27, is charged with one count of burglary, one count of retail theft and two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Omesha Hawkins, 28, and Onequa Hawkins, 32, are both charged with one count of burglary and two counts of retail theft. 

3. These new Illinois laws take effect January 2024; The new year is just weeks away, and for Illinois residents that means several laws will be taking effect.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed dozens of bills this year, some taking effect immediately and others beginning on Jan. 1, 2024.

Jarrell Shaw (left) and Sean Williams | Tinley Park police

4, 2 Chicago men tried to rob 72-year-old woman at gunpoint in Tinley Park Jewel parking lot; Two Chicago men are accused of trying to rob a woman at gunpoint in a suburban Jewel parking lot this week.

At about 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jarrell Shaw, 32, was allegedly driving a blue Chevy Malibu with 33-year-old Sean Williams inside when they spotted a woman getting into her vehicle in the Jewel parking lot located at 17117 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park.

That's when Williams got out of the car and attempted to rob her.

5. US Steel announces plans to lay off hundreds at southern Illinois mill; U.S. Steel issued layoff warnings to 1,000 employees of its Granite City, Illinois, mill this week, saying they expect to fire 60% of them due to indefinite idling of iron and steelmaking operations at the facility.

The warnings rocked the local community, which will be severely impacted by the move.

6. Human trafficking sting nets 12 arrests in Lake County;  A dozen men have been charged with soliciting sex after a human trafficking bust in Lake County.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group (SIG) arrested 12 men in a recent operation to suppress human trafficking.

7. Roseland shooting: 2 Chicago men accused in murder-for-hire plot; Two Chicago men have been indicted in a South Side fatal shooting that allegedly stemmed from a murder-for-hire plot.

According to the indictment, 24-year-old Anthony Montgomery-Wilson and 23-year-old Preston Powell — along with others — formulated a plan to murder 24-year-old Stephon Mack for money.

8. Oakbrook Terrace shooting: Woman allegedly followed group after argument at hotel pool, fatally shot man; A Naperville woman is accused of fatally shooting a man inside an Oakbrook Terrace hotel over the weekend.

Latrice Phillips, 51, is charged with first-degree murder.

9. A third Chicago suburb implements new rules to restrict migrant stays; In a move to address concerns related to migrant stays, Elk Grove Village has introduced an ordinance prohibiting hotel and motel owners from providing accommodation to individuals without medical documentation confirming their freedom from contagious diseases in the last 60 days.

The rule does not apply to those who have been residing in the U.S. for at least a year. Additionally, the ordinance restricts warehouse owners from converting buildings into temporary housing.

10. These are the places in Illinois with the lowest of cost of living, new study reveals; A new study is shedding light on where to hunker down in Illinois if you desire the lowest cost of living – which who wouldn't, right?

Niche recently released its "2023 Places with the Lowest Cost of Living in Illinois" list to figure out which areas are more affordable than others in the Land of Lincoln.