The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said Thursday that it does not currently have sufficient evidence to file criminal charges in the “challenging” shooting death of 16-year-old Lilly Bova, who was found with a gunshot wound inside her bedroom in unincorporated Northbrook in late March.
The prosecutors’ office did not close the door on possible future charges, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said they believe charges are merited but will respect the prosecutors’ decision.
Bova, a sophomore at Glenbrook South High School, was discovered inside the apartment where she lived with her mother and two siblings in the Salem Walk Apartment complex in the 3600 block of South Salem Walk a little after 11 a.m. Saturday, March 28, according to a report from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
First responders took Bova via ambulance to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.
An autopsy from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head, but Bova’s manner of death remains “undetermined,” according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
In a statement to Pioneer Press, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said that criminal charges cannot yet be filed in the case as prosecutors cannot meet the legal “burden of proof” after reviewing the evidence collected by police.
“Based on the evidence obtained by law enforcement during their investigation, we cannot meet our burden of proof, and at this time, we cannot bring criminal charges,” the statement said.
“This is a challenging case, with many questions remaining about how this horrific incident unfolded.”
The statement clarified that prosecutors from the Felony Review unit with the State’s Attorney’s Office have remained in contact with Bova’s family and have “personally informed” the family of this decision.
“As prosecutors, we have a responsibility to file charges only when the evidence supports doing so,” the statement continued. “The CCSAO remains committed to pursuing justice and seeking accountability in all instances where our review of admissible evidence determines that we can successfully prosecute a case.”
“The death of a young person is a profound tragedy,” the statement read, “and we recognize the impact this loss has had on Lilly Bova’s family, friends and the community.”
Bova’s mother, Christine Maga, has previously spoken out against prosecutors regarding the delay in filing charges against an individual she believes to be a suspect, according to previous media interviews.
Maga did not immediately respond to a Chicago Tribune/Pioneer Press request for comment regarding the State’s Attorney’s Office announcement.
Nor did Anthony Bova, Lilly Bova’s father.
In a Facebook post on June 10, however, Anthony Bova wrote that he disputes the state’s attorney’s decision to not yet file criminal charges against a suspect, and feels justice is not being served.
In a statement to Pioneer Press, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Thursday that since March 28, sheriff’s police detectives and evidence technicians have “continued their work to gather physical and electronic evidence from the scene and surrounding areas.”
Detectives believe their “recovery of gunshot residue, ballistic, and electronic evidence from the scene will eventually result in charges being filed in this case,” the statement said.
“While we maintain there is currently enough evidence to support criminal charges, we respect the State’s Attorney’s request for more time. We know there are individuals with pertinent information in this case and urge them to come forward,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote.
The statement continued that the Sheriff’s Office “understands the overwhelming grief and anger Lily Bova’s parents and loved ones feel” and shares in their “desire to bring the individual or individuals responsible for her death to justice.”
The news of Bova’s passing reverberated throughout the Northbrook community and Glenbrook South High School in the days following the fatal shooting.
Back for the first time since the school’s spring break, teachers at the high school spent much of the following Monday offering support and counseling to students, while neighbors in the Salem Walk Apartments described Bova as caring and warm.
Two days after Bova’s death, Jeanie Gamorot, who lived in the complex on the first floor near Bova and her family, described the Bova family as “very nice.”
“They always say hi,” she previously told Pioneer Press. “They always smile. … It’s just very sad.”
Authorities encourage anyone with information to contact sheriff’s police detectives at 708-865-4896.
