Charges upgraded to 1st-degree murder against man accused of shooting in Huntley home in 2022

Charges have been upgraded to first-degree murder against an Elgin man accused in 2022 of pistol-whipping a 67-year-old woman and shooting two men in a Huntley home, one of whom died months later.

Lewis McCracken, 29, also is charged with home invasion, aggravated battery, residential burglary, aggravated discharge of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated battery, according to the indictment filed in the McHenry County court.

He also is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a 29-year-old man in the home who suffered injuries to his elbow.

McCracken, who has been in custody since last year, was initially charged with attempted murder in the death of Mark Wahlstedt, 68. When Wahlstedt died three months after the shooting, McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally said he was undecided whether charges would be upgraded. At the time, Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said he did not think Wahlstedt's death was caused by the shooting, but instead by underlying conditions he had been diagnosed with prior to the shooting.

In court Thursday, during McCracken's arraignment on the new indictment and a hearing to continue his pretrial detention in the county jail, Assistant State's Attorney Bill Bruce said Wahlstedt's autopsy was reviewed by Dr. Scott Denton. Denton, a forensic medical examiner, "determined that the cause of death of Mark Wahlstedt was complications due to injuries sustained by the gunshot wound to the leg, and the manner of death was homicide," the petition said.

This determination led to the upgraded charges.

In arguing McCracken continue to be detained while awaiting trial, Bruce said McCracken is a flight risk and dangerous to the alleged surviving victims and the community. Bruce detailed McCracken's current charges as well as a criminal history that goes back to before he was 18 years old.

Defense attorney Brian Stevens argued for McCracken's release, saying electronic monitoring and GPS could keep the alleged victims and the community safe. Stevens said that though McCracken's residence is in Elgin currently, he could get move to McHenry County if the judge required it. Stevens also questioned the new finding that the alleged shooting was the cause of Wahlstedt's death noting it took two years for the state to find a medical examiner to say there was a link between the shooting and the death.

Judge Tiffany Davis granted the state's petition to continue to detain McCracken.

Prosecutors allege that at about 4 a.m. July 18, 2022, McCracken, armed with a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, was driven by another person to a home in the Wing Pointe subdivision , according to a petition to deny pretrial release Bruce read in court Thursday.

McCracken was going to confront the 29-year-old man who lived in the home in connection with an earlier altercation in Elgin , prosecutors have said. They said McCracken "pounded" on the door and the 67-year-old woman answered. When she realized it wasn't police, she tried to shut the door on McCracken to prevent him from coming inside, but McCracken pushed his way in, prosecutors said.

The two men then "came downstairs after hearing the commotion and yelling. At this time, [McCracken] was armed with a 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his hand. Mark Wahlstedt was also armed with a .380-caliber handgun and ordered [McCracken] to leave. [McCracken] disarmed Mark Wahlstedt and a struggle ensued," the petition said.

"The defendant pistol-whipped [the woman] in the head with his gun and fired multiple rounds at Mark Wahlstedt and the 29-year-old man. Mark Wahlstedt was shot in the upper thigh involving arteries ... and [the younger man] was shot in the elbow," the petition said.

Police found five fired cartridge cases at the scene, the petition said. Wahlstedt never fired his handgun, prosecutors have said.

Wahlstedt was hospitalized and was treated for "critical and deteriorating medical conditions. After several surgeries and treatment for his gunshot wound, he died on October 7, 2022," the petition said. Wahlstedt died at a rehabilitation facility in Lake County, McHenry County State's prosecutors said.

Shortly after the shooting, McCracken and the driver allegedly were involved in a series of incidents including an armed carjacking and a police chase involving multiple hit and runs spanning several suburbs, Bruce said.

McCracken then fled to California, went into Mexico then to Donora, Pennsylvania, where he was captured in Sept. 26, 2022, after a two-and-a-half police standoff, prosectors said. He was in the custody of the McHenry County jail on Jan. 3, 2023, where he has remained.

If convicted of murder, McCracken could spend the rest of his life in prison, Bruce has said. McCracken is due back in court Oct. 10.