Search continues for Byron man's murderer

No arrests have been made and no new information is available in the fatal shooting of a Byron man two weeks ago.

Byron Police Chief Todd Murray said Tuesday that the investigation into the murder of Emory Weems, 55, 228 W. Merchant St., is continuing, but he has no further information to release.

Murray did release an artist’s sketch of a man witnesses saw leaving the scene.

Weems died Feb. 15 at Swedish American Hospital, Rockford, where he was taken after he was shot at close range on Feb. 11.

Winnebago County Coroner Sue Fiduccia said an autopsy revealed that Weems died from gunshots to the face and neck.

The shooting took place at Weem’s home, where he lived with family members, at 3 p.m.

Murray said police are trying to determine a motive and whether or not Weems knew the suspect.

It does not appear the house was broken into or that anything was taken, Murray said last week.

He declined to say how the suspect may have gotten into Weems’ house, how many times, or where Weems was shot.

Witnesses, which Murray said includes a family member, told police they saw a white male walking from the scene around the time of the shooting, and that he may have left the area later in a tan four-door medium-sized car.

Police describe the suspect as between 30 to 40 years old, about six feet tall, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, and clean-shaven with brown hair.

He was wearing a black baseball cap (with an adjustable rear strap), black pants, and a multi-colored jacket with a shield-like or knight-like emblem on the backside.

The sleeves were black, the chest area was white, the shoulders were red, and the jacket was collarless.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Byron Police Department at 815-979-4462 or the Ogle-Lee County Crime Stoppers at 888-228-4488.

Police also are asking anyone who was at the Byron Public Library between 2 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 11 to contact police.