Wheaton Detectives Honored for Law Enforcement Excellence in 1976 Murder Casework

The Chicago Crime Commission will honor two Wheaton detectives for their work that led to finding the man who murdered a Wheaton woman in her home in 1976.

Detectives Edward Fanning and Andrew Uhlir and DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Guerrieri will accept the Law Enforcement Excellence Award at the commission’s annual "Stars of Distinction, 2011 Awards Dinner” Wednesday night.

In 2005, Fanning, Uhlir and Guerrieri reopened the file on the 1976 murder of Darlene Stack in a room she rented in a Wheaton home on Stoddard Avenue. Using technology that was not available in the 1970s, they were able to develop a DNA profile from a sample on Stack’s bed that matched that of Michael Whitney, 58, according to a release from the Chicago Crime Commission.

The investigated the murder, but did not charge Whitney, the original suspect, because he had an alibi.

Prosecutors said in the basement of the same home as Stack. After a night of drinking on Aug. 17, 1976, Whitney went home and eventually went to Darlene Stack's room where he bound and gagged her, raped her and stabbed her 33 times, Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Ruggiero told DuPage County Judge Kathryn Creswell in court Sept. 8.

Whitney threw the knife into the DuPage River and was protected for years by his girlfriend, who repeatedly told investigators Whitney was with him when Stack was killed.

After 35 years, according to the release, “Whitney’s girlfriend broke down, unable to deny the veracity of DNA testing, and confessed that her alibi was a lie.”

Whitney, who was serving a 60-year sentence for a home invasion murder, pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to life in prison in early September.

"This was a team effort, we're just thankful for the outcome," Fanning said after Whitney’s sentencing, sharing credit with Uhlir and Guerrieri.

The case and the work of these law enforcement professionals, the release read, "show that progress may, at times, require a look into the past, and that the newest application of technology may best serve the present by relying on times gone by." 

Jody Weis, Deputy Director of the Chicago Crime Commission said Wednesday that Fanning’s, Uhlir’s and Guerrieri’s efforts are indicative of their dedication and determination.

He said the combination of old-fashioned police work and modern technology was what stood out to those determining the award recipients.

 “The consensus was that this is good, old-fashioned police work—unrelenting and persisting—to get this case solved, combined with modern technology ... We thought it was a sign of true excellence.” 

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Patrick Fitzgerald will be the keynote speaker at the Wednesday awards dinner in Chicago. In addition to the Law Enforcement Excellence Award, the commission will award law enforcement officials for the following categories: Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Violent Street Gangs; Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Illegal Narcotics; Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Illegal Weapons; Outstanding Innovation in Law Enforcement; Excellence in Community Outreach; Lifetime Achievement; Mitch Mars Prosecutor Excellence Award; and the Chicago Crime Commission Stars of Distinction Paws of Distinction Award.