Capt. Michael O’Mara Mysterious Death in Markham Illinois

Captain Michael W. O’Mara was a highly respected officer in the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department. Born in 1939, he dedicated his adult life to law enforcement, rising through the ranks to become a captain by the late 1980s. Known for his dedication, integrity, and relentless work ethic, O’Mara was one of the few in his department to have attended the FBI National Academy. His training and experience made him invaluable in organized crime investigations, and throughout the 1960s and 1970s he had developed a reputation for standing up against the powerful organized crime syndicates that dominated parts of Chicago and its suburbs.

O’Mara’s colleagues described him as meticulous and intelligent, with a strong sense of duty. He was also a family man, married with children, and at the time of his death was looking forward to retirement. According to friends and family, he had plans to move to Florida with his wife and begin the next chapter of his life away from the stresses of policing. His death would strike as shocking not only because of its suddenness but also because of the questions it raised about whether his long career in law enforcement ultimately made him a target.

The Day of May 30, 1988

Memorial Day of 1988 was supposed to be ordinary for Captain O’Mara. According to his family, he was in good spirits when he left home that evening. He mentioned he was going to get gasoline for his vehicle and also bring home frozen yogurt, a simple errand that suggested no distress or dark intentions. There were no indications from his behavior that he was contemplating ending his life. In fact, his upbeat demeanor and plans for retirement painted the picture of a man looking forward to the future.

Later that evening, around 9:00 p.m., a fellow officer discovered O’Mara’s unmarked squad car parked at the private service area of the Markham Civic Center, a location where county police officers often fueled their vehicles. The sight was unusual enough to prompt an inspection, which soon revealed the grim discovery.

Discovery of the Body

Captain O’Mara’s body was found just outside the car, slumped against a rock in the grass near the fueling station. He had been shot once in the forehead. His service revolver lay nearby, and strikingly, both his wallet and briefcase remained untouched. The presence of these items and the absence of theft suggested that robbery was not the motive.

The scene was unsettling. Unlike what is typically expected in a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the shot was not fired at contact range. Instead, forensic analysis later indicated that the muzzle of the revolver had been two to four inches away from his forehead when the shot was fired. That distance immediately created doubts about whether the wound was truly self-inflicted. Most suicides involving firearms produce contact wounds, as individuals place the weapon directly against their skin to ensure death. The fact that O’Mara’s wound was not contact but close-range complicated the official ruling.

The Official Ruling of Suicide

Within two weeks of the incident, the Cook County coroner’s office ruled O’Mara’s death a suicide. Police leadership accepted the ruling and reinforced the narrative that the captain had taken his own life. Their reasoning was that the evidence—his revolver at the scene and the absence of an assailant—supported the conclusion of self-destruction.

Yet from the very beginning, O’Mara’s family rejected this finding. His wife and children emphasized that he had shown no signs of depression or suicidal intent. Instead, they pointed to his positive outlook that very day, his anticipation of retirement, and his general character as proof that suicide was inconsistent with who he was. To them, the official ruling was hasty and dismissive of deeper possibilities.

The Disputed Forensic Evidence

One of the most important challenges to the suicide ruling came from Dr. Vincent DiMaio, a well-known forensic pathologist. DiMaio noted that the shot’s distance of two to four inches from the forehead was unusual for a suicide. Furthermore, the angle of the wound and the position of the body raised questions about whether O’Mara could have inflicted it himself in the way the authorities claimed.

Critics also questioned why, if he had chosen to end his life, he would have done so in such a public and unusual location. The Markham Civic Center’s fueling station was not private in the true sense—officers came and went regularly, and the possibility of being discovered mid-act was high. For a man as careful and deliberate as O’Mara, this did not align with his personality or sense of privacy.

Alternative Theories

Over time, several alternative theories about O’Mara’s death emerged. Each had its supporters and detractors, but all pointed away from suicide and toward homicide.

Organized Crime Retaliation

Given O’Mara’s extensive background in anti-mafia operations, one possibility is that he was silenced by organized crime figures. Chicago’s Outfit had long memories and ruthless methods. If O’Mara’s past investigations had made powerful enemies, his assassination could have been seen as retribution or a warning to others.

Internal Conflict or Police Corruption

Another theory suggested that O’Mara may have uncovered misconduct or corruption within the ranks of law enforcement itself. In this scenario, his death would not have been the result of mafia violence but rather an inside job to keep him quiet. Supporters of this theory point to the quick ruling of suicide and the lack of deeper investigation as signs of an effort to close the case without scrutiny.

Business Entanglements

In the years before his death, O’Mara was involved in a private security firm called the Private Security Institute. Though legitimate, the company connected him to influential business and political figures, and speculation arose that his involvement may have placed him at odds with dangerous interests. Some believed that dissolving his ties to the business ahead of retirement may have been part of a larger conflict.

The Family’s Struggle for Answers

O’Mara’s family, particularly his wife Barbara, fought tirelessly to clear his name from the stigma of suicide and to have his death recognized as a homicide. For them, the ruling dishonored a man who had spent his life serving the public. They pursued independent examinations, spoke publicly about their doubts, and pressed authorities to reopen the case.

Despite their efforts, the ruling was never overturned. The official position remained that Captain Michael W. O’Mara had taken his own life, leaving the family with unresolved grief and suspicion. Barbara O’Mara lived for decades after her husband’s death, always maintaining that he had been murdered. She passed away in 2022, never having seen the case resolved.

Media Coverage and Public Interest

The unusual circumstances of O’Mara’s death attracted attention from both local media and national television. Newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune covered the initial incident, while the case reached a broader audience when it was profiled on the television program Unsolved Mysteries in January 1995. The episode highlighted the family’s doubts, the forensic anomalies, and the theories of foul play, introducing the case to millions of viewers.

Podcasts and online discussions in later decades continued to revisit the story, keeping interest alive among those fascinated by unsolved and disputed cases. In forums, blogs, and investigative podcasts, debates still rage over whether Captain O’Mara was a suicide victim or the casualty of a murder conspiracy.

Legacy of Captain Michael W. O’Mara

More than three decades after his death, the mystery of Captain O’Mara’s final moments remains unresolved. For those who knew him, he is remembered as a dedicated officer, a loving husband and father, and a man who stood up to crime at great personal risk. For the law enforcement community, his case is a cautionary tale about the dangers of assuming quick answers in ambiguous deaths, especially when they involve individuals with powerful enemies.

To this day, the Markham Civic Center holds a dark memory of that Memorial Day evening when a respected captain’s life came to a sudden and unexplained end. Whether suicide or murder, the truth remains elusive, and the questions surrounding his death ensure that the story of Michael W. O’Mara continues to haunt both his family and the history of Cook County law enforcement.

Conclusion

The case of Captain Michael W. O’Mara represents more than the tragic loss of a police officer; it underscores the complexities of justice, the challenges of interpreting forensic evidence, and the enduring pain of a family denied closure. Officially classified as a suicide, yet strongly contested by those who loved him, his death sits in the gray area between fact and suspicion. It remains a story not just of one man’s mysterious end but of the broader struggle to uncover the truth in the face of institutional resistance, organized crime, and unanswered questions.