CHICAGO – Two days after her husband and mother were found slain in her Edgewater home, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday she always knew her job put her at some risk. But she said she never thought her job would endanger her family.
Her voice soft, quiet and tired, the judge said, “I don’t know of any other instance when the attack was on the judges’ family and not themselves.
“I think we all sort of go into this thinking it’s a possibility, but you don’t think it’s going to happen to you because it’s so unthinkable.”
Lefkow’s husband, attorney Michael F. Lefkow, 64, had recently injured his leg. Her mother, Donna G. Humphrey, 89, also recently had surgery. Lefkow found the two dead Monday night, each shot multiple times.
Among the possible suspects is Matt Hale, the jailed leader of a white supremacist group, who was responsible for bringing a hate rally to Lewiston in January 2003 in reaction to the arrival of Somalis in the city.
“I imagine my husband must have just walked into something,” Lefkow said. “Both of them were on crutches. They didn’t have a chance.”
She paused and then repeated: “You never think it’s going to happen to you.”
Lefkow said that despite the risk, she didn’t see any need for security at her home.
“We never had any intruders in the 23 years we lived there. I’m sorry to say, no, we did not have a security system. We were careful about our locks.”
She said the outpouring of support has been heartening.
“We can’t acknowledge yet all of the calls. I know there have been vigils and prayer services for us – that we very much need. We are all thankful and grateful for all the support of our neighbors, our many friends, the kids’ schools.
“We’re hearing from everyone locally and around the country. It’s a great comfort. It’s a wonderful feeling. The empty part is that Michael himself can’t thank them. … He would be so, so humbled by it all.”
The surviving family members are supporting one another, she said.
“We’re all together. All the girls are here, my two brothers and sister are coming in. We go around and find someone who’s crying and then just hold them.”
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