An Illinois CEO Was Found Dead Inside Burning Building — and His Employee Has Been Arrested

The CEO of an Illinois trucking company was found dead in a burning building last week — and now one of his own employees has been arrested.

Dane Koteski, 46, the CEO of ATG Truckload, was found dead at the company’s offices in Crestwood on Wednesday, March 5. Someone had called police to report heavy smoke coming from the building, according to a Crestwood police statement about the incident. 

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s determined that Koteski’s death was a homicide and that he’d died from neck injuries caused by a “sharp or pointed object,” per the statement. 

A death and arson investigation was launched by the Crestwood Police Department and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, as well as the State Fire Marshals.

Within hours, investigators were able to zero in on a suspect — who turned out to be an employee of the victim’s, per the police statement. “The crime was quickly deemed to be an isolated event, specifically targeting the victim,” the release says.

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The unnamed suspect was arrested at a truck stop in Holland, Mich., where they remain in custody at the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office on a murder warrant, per the police statement.

The suspect will be extradited back to Illinois by the end of the week.

A neighbor, Darlene Adams, told WGN9 that Koteski was originally from Macedonia, had a son, and was part of a local Serbian church. “It seems to me he goes to work early and comes home, takes care of his dogs and see his son. I’ve noticed things have been very different this week. I had no idea why,” Adams told the outlet.

A GoFundMe has been launched to raise funds for Koteski’s funeral and his son’s college tuition. Koteski was remembered for his “generosity, friendship, and kindness” and heralded as “a great and loving father of Kiko, son, and a brother.”