Woman, 23, Found Slain In Naperville
Police Believe She Had Been Strangled By An Acquaintance
Published on December 20, 1995 By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune Staff Writer.
Nicole Kornely arrived in Naperville five years ago to tackle college as a promising scholar from a rural Wisconsin high school nearly 200 miles away. She is leaving as a victim of violence.
Kornely, 23, was strangled late Sunday or early Monday in her Naperville apartment by someone who knew her, police believe. On Tuesday, authorities, friends and family were releasing little information about the woman who graduated last December from North Central College in Naperville with a degree in sociology and anthropology and was working as an assistant manager at a retail store in Aurora.
"At the present time, the Naperville police have not identified any specific suspects in this investigation," Sgt. David Hoffman said. "We are obtaining information from all her known acquaintances, friends, relatives and anybody that knew her in an attempt to ascertain what has happened."
What police have said is that Kornely was last seen alive about 10:30 p.m. Sunday by her roommate in the second-floor apartment they shared at 1517 W. Jefferson Ave. Police would not say where the roommate was after 10:30 p.m.
Shortly before noon Monday, concerned employees from the Pier 1 Imports, where Kornely worked, called police because she hadn't arrived at her scheduled 9 a.m. start.
When no one answered police officers' knocks on the apartment door, they forced it open and found Kornely's partially clothed body, authorities said. She had been strangled with a rope, cord or similar binding.
"The apartment was not in disarray," Hoffman said. "There was no broken furniture. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Based on no signs of forced entry in the apartment, I would suspect that this is someone she knew."
Family and friends around Kornely's hometown of Kellnersville, Wis., northwest of Manitowoc, were closing ranks Tuesday. They said they hoped that approach would expedite the arrest of her assailant.
Her parents were in Naperville Tuesday, but were planning to return home, police said.
At North Central, students and faculty were on winter break, which will end Jan. 2. College public information director Mary-Claire Uselding portrayed Kornely as a bright, active high school student.
She came to North Central after earning distinction as a National Honor Society member, treasurer of her senior class and assistant editor of the school paper at Reedsville High School in Reedsville, Wis., Uselding said.
Kornely earned a $3,000 Presidential Scholarship at North Central as an incoming freshman based on her ACT score and high school class rank, Uselding added. At North Central, "she was a somewhat quiet student," Uselding said.
Kornely and her roommate had moved into the two-bedroom residence at Jefferson Point apartments in May, according to T.J. Johnson, owner of the agency that maintains the apartments.
"She was a very sweet young lady," Johnson said. "She was very, very pleasant. They had a few parties, but we never had any problems."
Neither Johnson nor neighbors in the apartments said they noticed anything out of the ordinary Sunday night or early Monday until police began investigating. On Tuesday, authorities had strung yellow security tape around the front yard of the beige apartment building and were refusing entry to anyone except residents.
"We've been trying all day to figure out what happened Sunday night," said Kornely's neighbor, Dave Eaheart, 22, who said he arrived home about 2 a.m. Sunday and found the building quiet. "We just haven't come up with any conclusion. It's kind of scary."
At the store where Kornely had worked, employees were visibly shaken by the news. One woman, struggling to maintain her composure, called Kornely "a wonderful, warm human being," but then was overcome with emotion.
Police were declining to release more details about the slaying.
Police Believe She Had Been Strangled By An Acquaintance
Published on December 20, 1995 By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune Staff Writer.
Nicole Kornely arrived in Naperville five years ago to tackle college as a promising scholar from a rural Wisconsin high school nearly 200 miles away. She is leaving as a victim of violence.
Kornely, 23, was strangled late Sunday or early Monday in her Naperville apartment by someone who knew her, police believe. On Tuesday, authorities, friends and family were releasing little information about the woman who graduated last December from North Central College in Naperville with a degree in sociology and anthropology and was working as an assistant manager at a retail store in Aurora.
"At the present time, the Naperville police have not identified any specific suspects in this investigation," Sgt. David Hoffman said. "We are obtaining information from all her known acquaintances, friends, relatives and anybody that knew her in an attempt to ascertain what has happened."
What police have said is that Kornely was last seen alive about 10:30 p.m. Sunday by her roommate in the second-floor apartment they shared at 1517 W. Jefferson Ave. Police would not say where the roommate was after 10:30 p.m.
Shortly before noon Monday, concerned employees from the Pier 1 Imports, where Kornely worked, called police because she hadn't arrived at her scheduled 9 a.m. start.
When no one answered police officers' knocks on the apartment door, they forced it open and found Kornely's partially clothed body, authorities said. She had been strangled with a rope, cord or similar binding.
"The apartment was not in disarray," Hoffman said. "There was no broken furniture. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Based on no signs of forced entry in the apartment, I would suspect that this is someone she knew."
Family and friends around Kornely's hometown of Kellnersville, Wis., northwest of Manitowoc, were closing ranks Tuesday. They said they hoped that approach would expedite the arrest of her assailant.
Her parents were in Naperville Tuesday, but were planning to return home, police said.
At North Central, students and faculty were on winter break, which will end Jan. 2. College public information director Mary-Claire Uselding portrayed Kornely as a bright, active high school student.
She came to North Central after earning distinction as a National Honor Society member, treasurer of her senior class and assistant editor of the school paper at Reedsville High School in Reedsville, Wis., Uselding said.
Kornely earned a $3,000 Presidential Scholarship at North Central as an incoming freshman based on her ACT score and high school class rank, Uselding added. At North Central, "she was a somewhat quiet student," Uselding said.
Kornely and her roommate had moved into the two-bedroom residence at Jefferson Point apartments in May, according to T.J. Johnson, owner of the agency that maintains the apartments.
"She was a very sweet young lady," Johnson said. "She was very, very pleasant. They had a few parties, but we never had any problems."
Neither Johnson nor neighbors in the apartments said they noticed anything out of the ordinary Sunday night or early Monday until police began investigating. On Tuesday, authorities had strung yellow security tape around the front yard of the beige apartment building and were refusing entry to anyone except residents.
"We've been trying all day to figure out what happened Sunday night," said Kornely's neighbor, Dave Eaheart, 22, who said he arrived home about 2 a.m. Sunday and found the building quiet. "We just haven't come up with any conclusion. It's kind of scary."
At the store where Kornely had worked, employees were visibly shaken by the news. One woman, struggling to maintain her composure, called Kornely "a wonderful, warm human being," but then was overcome with emotion.
Police were declining to release more details about the slaying.
Woman, 23, Found Slain In Naperville
Police Believe She Had Been Strangled By An Acquaintance
Published on December 20, 1995 By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune Staff Writer.
Nicole Kornely arrived in Naperville five years ago to tackle college as a promising scholar from a rural Wisconsin high school nearly 200 miles away. She is leaving as a victim of violence.
Kornely, 23, was strangled late Sunday or early Monday in her Naperville apartment by someone who knew her, police believe. On Tuesday, authorities, friends and family were releasing little information about the woman who graduated last December from North Central College in Naperville with a degree in sociology and anthropology and was working as an assistant manager at a retail store in Aurora.
"At the present time, the Naperville police have not identified any specific suspects in this investigation," Sgt. David Hoffman said. "We are obtaining information from all her known acquaintances, friends, relatives and anybody that knew her in an attempt to ascertain what has happened."
What police have said is that Kornely was last seen alive about 10:30 p.m. Sunday by her roommate in the second-floor apartment they shared at 1517 W. Jefferson Ave. Police would not say where the roommate was after 10:30 p.m.
Shortly before noon Monday, concerned employees from the Pier 1 Imports, where Kornely worked, called police because she hadn't arrived at her scheduled 9 a.m. start.
When no one answered police officers' knocks on the apartment door, they forced it open and found Kornely's partially clothed body, authorities said. She had been strangled with a rope, cord or similar binding.
"The apartment was not in disarray," Hoffman said. "There was no broken furniture. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Based on no signs of forced entry in the apartment, I would suspect that this is someone she knew."
Family and friends around Kornely's hometown of Kellnersville, Wis., northwest of Manitowoc, were closing ranks Tuesday. They said they hoped that approach would expedite the arrest of her assailant.
Her parents were in Naperville Tuesday, but were planning to return home, police said.
At North Central, students and faculty were on winter break, which will end Jan. 2. College public information director Mary-Claire Uselding portrayed Kornely as a bright, active high school student.
She came to North Central after earning distinction as a National Honor Society member, treasurer of her senior class and assistant editor of the school paper at Reedsville High School in Reedsville, Wis., Uselding said.
Kornely earned a $3,000 Presidential Scholarship at North Central as an incoming freshman based on her ACT score and high school class rank, Uselding added. At North Central, "she was a somewhat quiet student," Uselding said.
Kornely and her roommate had moved into the two-bedroom residence at Jefferson Point apartments in May, according to T.J. Johnson, owner of the agency that maintains the apartments.
"She was a very sweet young lady," Johnson said. "She was very, very pleasant. They had a few parties, but we never had any problems."
Neither Johnson nor neighbors in the apartments said they noticed anything out of the ordinary Sunday night or early Monday until police began investigating. On Tuesday, authorities had strung yellow security tape around the front yard of the beige apartment building and were refusing entry to anyone except residents.
"We've been trying all day to figure out what happened Sunday night," said Kornely's neighbor, Dave Eaheart, 22, who said he arrived home about 2 a.m. Sunday and found the building quiet. "We just haven't come up with any conclusion. It's kind of scary."
At the store where Kornely had worked, employees were visibly shaken by the news. One woman, struggling to maintain her composure, called Kornely "a wonderful, warm human being," but then was overcome with emotion.
Police were declining to release more details about the slaying.
Police Believe She Had Been Strangled By An Acquaintance
Published on December 20, 1995 By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune Staff Writer.
Nicole Kornely arrived in Naperville five years ago to tackle college as a promising scholar from a rural Wisconsin high school nearly 200 miles away. She is leaving as a victim of violence.
Kornely, 23, was strangled late Sunday or early Monday in her Naperville apartment by someone who knew her, police believe. On Tuesday, authorities, friends and family were releasing little information about the woman who graduated last December from North Central College in Naperville with a degree in sociology and anthropology and was working as an assistant manager at a retail store in Aurora.
"At the present time, the Naperville police have not identified any specific suspects in this investigation," Sgt. David Hoffman said. "We are obtaining information from all her known acquaintances, friends, relatives and anybody that knew her in an attempt to ascertain what has happened."
What police have said is that Kornely was last seen alive about 10:30 p.m. Sunday by her roommate in the second-floor apartment they shared at 1517 W. Jefferson Ave. Police would not say where the roommate was after 10:30 p.m.
Shortly before noon Monday, concerned employees from the Pier 1 Imports, where Kornely worked, called police because she hadn't arrived at her scheduled 9 a.m. start.
When no one answered police officers' knocks on the apartment door, they forced it open and found Kornely's partially clothed body, authorities said. She had been strangled with a rope, cord or similar binding.
"The apartment was not in disarray," Hoffman said. "There was no broken furniture. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Based on no signs of forced entry in the apartment, I would suspect that this is someone she knew."
Family and friends around Kornely's hometown of Kellnersville, Wis., northwest of Manitowoc, were closing ranks Tuesday. They said they hoped that approach would expedite the arrest of her assailant.
Her parents were in Naperville Tuesday, but were planning to return home, police said.
At North Central, students and faculty were on winter break, which will end Jan. 2. College public information director Mary-Claire Uselding portrayed Kornely as a bright, active high school student.
She came to North Central after earning distinction as a National Honor Society member, treasurer of her senior class and assistant editor of the school paper at Reedsville High School in Reedsville, Wis., Uselding said.
Kornely earned a $3,000 Presidential Scholarship at North Central as an incoming freshman based on her ACT score and high school class rank, Uselding added. At North Central, "she was a somewhat quiet student," Uselding said.
Kornely and her roommate had moved into the two-bedroom residence at Jefferson Point apartments in May, according to T.J. Johnson, owner of the agency that maintains the apartments.
"She was a very sweet young lady," Johnson said. "She was very, very pleasant. They had a few parties, but we never had any problems."
Neither Johnson nor neighbors in the apartments said they noticed anything out of the ordinary Sunday night or early Monday until police began investigating. On Tuesday, authorities had strung yellow security tape around the front yard of the beige apartment building and were refusing entry to anyone except residents.
"We've been trying all day to figure out what happened Sunday night," said Kornely's neighbor, Dave Eaheart, 22, who said he arrived home about 2 a.m. Sunday and found the building quiet. "We just haven't come up with any conclusion. It's kind of scary."
At the store where Kornely had worked, employees were visibly shaken by the news. One woman, struggling to maintain her composure, called Kornely "a wonderful, warm human being," but then was overcome with emotion.
Police were declining to release more details about the slaying.
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