As a long line of mourners filed into a Countryside funeral home Wednesday to say their last goodbyes to Kelli O’Laughlin, a friend of her family fondly recalled the “tennis crazy” 14-year-old while struggling to cope with her death.
“She had these big, bright sparkling eyes,” said Richard Roderick. “To have something like this happen … there are no words.”
Kelli was found stabbed multiple times at her home in Indian Head Park on Oct. 27. Police believe she walked in on a burglary when she returned from Lyons Township High School, where she was a freshman.
Late Wednesday, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said a man was in custody being questioned in the case. The sources would not describe how long the man has been in custody or whether he’s considered a suspect in the slaying.
Last week, a 38-year-old Chicago man who had been a suspect in an earlier string of burglaries was taken into custody and repeatedly questioned after the killing, but he has not been implicated in it. He was booked into Cook County Jail on Monday on another burglary charge.
Kelli’s friends and family members gathered at Hallowell & James Funeral Home to pay their respects. Their arms crossed or their hands plunged deep into their pockets, young people huddled in small groups.
Roderick said Kelli lit up a room when she walked in.
A regular tennis partner of Kelli’s father, Roderick said he frequently ran into her at a club where the O’Laughlins are members. He remembered seeing her always with “her two best friends” in hand — a cellphone and a tennis racket.
“I watched Kelli beat her dad (at tennis),” he said, smiling and shaking his head. “We just hope and pray for a logical conclusion.”
Earlier Wednesday, John O’Laughlin, the father of the slain teen, released a statement in which he expressed his family’s gratitude to the community.
“We are truly overwhelmed and touched by the outpouring of support we have received from the community and all those who knew and loved Kelli,” he said. “We are so grateful to everyone who has offered their support and condolences in this difficult time.”
He also thanked police for their efforts in searching for the killer. Authorities have pursued more than 100 leads.
The visitation for Kelli will continue from 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday. A funeral will be held at 9:45 a.m. Friday at St. John of the Cross Church, 5005 Wolf Road, Western Springs.
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