March 10--A man and a woman were found dead in a Joliet auto body shop late Wednesday morning, police said.
A manager at Fleet Specialty Painting and Auto, 809 E. Cass St. on the east side of Joliet, called police just before noon, and officers who went to the shop found a male and female dead there, police said.
The victims were identified as Michael R. Oram, Sr., 48, of Joliet and Jamie L. Wills, 43, of Lockport, according to the Will County coroner's office. They were pronounced dead at 3:10 p.m. The deaths are being investigated as homicides and the cause is pending autopsy, toxicology and police investigation, the coroner's office said.
Police were releasing no details about the two people and few details of what they believe happened, but "there was trauma to the bodies so we are investigating it as a homicide at this time," said Chief Brian Benton, of the Joliet Police Department.
"Our evidence technicians are currently on the scene processing the scene," Benton said early Wednesday evening, adding that he expects it to be a "lengthy investigation."
The Will County coroner's office and the Will County state's attorney's office were notified, he said. The bodies were expected to remain at the scene until the investigation there was complete, at which time the coroner was to remove them.
Police have not confirmed that the man who called them is the owner of the shop, or in some other managerial capacity, Benton said.
Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter.
