MM_112118

14 | November 21, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger life & arts
mokenamessenger.com
Nearly 100-year-old murder
case is brought back to life
T.J. Kremer III, Editor
Need aDoctor? See a
DOCTOR!
EVERYDAY
7AM–11PM
LA PORTE RD
• Board-CertifiedPhysicians
• Easy Access/Parking
• Prompt Attention
MOST INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED
FRANKFORT
815-464-2010
LaGrange Road @St. Francis Road
TACO
BELL
COLORADO AVE
45
N
ST. FRANCIS RD
Local historian and author Matt Galik’s latest book, “The 1926
Orland Park Murder Mystery,” follows the case of the death
of Will County Sheriffs Deputy and Mokena resident Walter
Fisher, and takes an in-depth look at the man convicted of the
murder, Daniel Hesly. T.J. Kremer III/22nd Century Media
It starts with a hijacked
payroll delivery. Later, a
Will County Deputy Sheriff
would receive a call from a
local doctor who had been
carjacked by the robbery
suspect. The deputy investigates
the crime and is killed
for his effort.
Although this scenario
sounds like something that
could be seen on the nightly
news today, it’s actually
the basis for local historian
and author Matt Galik’s latest
book, “The 1926 Orland
Park Murder Mystery.”
The book follows the case
of the robbery of the Inland
Steel payroll by Daniel Hesly
and the subsequent events
that ultimately ended with
the death of Deputy Walter
Fisher in Orland Park.
Galik said he was inspired
to write about the nearly
century-old crime as a way
to preserve the deeds and
memories of those involved.
“In the past and over the
years Mokena, and this who
area in general, hasn’t been
so good about remembering
the past and our history and
where we came from. There’s
always been progress and that
has kind of, I guess, cancelled
out the past,” Galik said. “In
Deputy Fisher’s case, it’s not
let him get the credit or the
honor or the remembrance
he deserved because he sacrificed
his life for Mokena and
his townfolk. And I think it’s
sort of sad that the past and
this sort of thing hasn’t been
prioritized in remembering
this sort of stuff. That’s why
I wanted to write the book, so
there would always be something
floating around with his
story in it.”
As a result of local accounts
being “foggy and cloudy,”
Galik spent six years tracking
down information about the
case that’s almost been lost to
time. Much of the information
came in the form of microfilm
from old newspaper
articles in Mokena, Joliet and
even the National Archives
branch in San Francisco,
which holds information
about inmates incarcerated at
Alcatraz, where Hesly, eventually
ended up spending part
of his sentence.
What results is a complex
tale of a robbery and murder
that was almost lost to time,
filled with details that leave
the reader with perhaps more
questions about the principle
figures than answers. But,
mostly, the book immortalizes
what remains the only case
in Mokena’s history where a
law enforcement officer lost
his life in the line of duty.
“The more I thought about
it, the more I realized that this
was kind of a big deal, seeing
how the victim, Deputy Fisher
was a local law enforcement
figure, and he’s completely
forgotten in Mokena today in
the contemporary Village, if
you will,” Galik said. “So, I
wanted to produce something
that would ensure that he
would not go forgotten.”
“The 1926 Orland Park
Murder Mystery” is on sale
now at local bookstores and
online at amazon.com.