Kevin Motykie is detained on murder and sexual assault charges in Katherine Torbick’s death.
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — A Cook County murder case against Kevin D. Motykie is moving through court after prosecutors said an audio recorder, medical findings and prior domestic violence reports link him to Katherine D. Torbick’s death.
Motykie, 56, is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. Torbick, 43, was found dead April 30 in the Schaumburg home the two had shared during a relationship that authorities said lasted about a decade. The Cook County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation. Motykie was ordered detained after a May 8 hearing and remained in custody as public reports listed a May 29 court appearance.
The court record begins on the night of April 30, when Schaumburg police responded to a welfare check request in the 1700 block of West Weathersfield Way. A caller said Torbick had not been heard from and could not be reached. Officers knew there had been a recent domestic violence incident at the home and that Motykie was wanted on a pending aggravated domestic battery warrant involving Torbick. Police forced entry and found her dead on a couch. Motykie was located in the garage. Prosecutors said he appeared impaired, had trouble standing and told officers he had taken prescription drugs.
The next part of the case came from what officers found on Motykie. Prosecutors said police recovered a digital recording device from his pocket, along with handcuffs and a key. A search warrant later showed the device held more than seven hours of audio, according to court accounts. Prosecutors said the recording began about 2 a.m. and captured Motykie restraining Torbick, accusing her of cheating, beating her, sexually assaulting her and threatening to kill her. Torbick is heard screaming and pleading, prosecutors said. The final minutes captured the strangulation that killed her, according to the state’s account.
Physical evidence described in court filings matched parts of that account, prosecutors said. The medical examiner noted neck marks, bruising and other signs of trauma. Police said duct tape was used during the attack. Officers also reported seeing a rope tied into a noose in the garage. Prosecutors said Motykie made suicidal statements on the recording, including comments about hanging himself. Authorities have not said in public reports that he attempted suicide after officers arrived. The state also alleged that the sexual assault counts involved threats to Torbick’s life, which is why those charges were added as aggravated felonies.
The prior domestic violence case may become one of the most important issues before trial. Prosecutors said Torbick reported a March attack in which Motykie strangled her, struck her, tried to injure her eyes, held a knife and forced her to begin writing a suicide note to her son. She escaped to a neighbor’s home, and 911 was called. She was treated at a hospital, and police documented injuries. A warrant was issued March 16, but authorities said Motykie was never taken into custody before Torbick died. Prosecutors also said Torbick had made a videotaped statement for police because she feared Motykie would kill her.
Defense lawyers often challenge whether prior allegations can be used at trial, and the Motykie case could raise questions about how much of the March incident jurors may hear. Prosecutors are likely to argue that the earlier case shows motive, intent, fear, escalation or a pattern of conduct. The defense could argue that earlier accusations would unfairly prejudice jurors or distract from the specific evidence tied to April 30. Judges decide such issues through pretrial motions. No public report showed a ruling on those questions by June 3, and no trial date had been reported.
The motive theory outlined by prosecutors focuses on control, jealousy and the end of the relationship. Authorities said Motykie and Torbick had dated for about 10 years and lived together. Prosecutors said Torbick began seeing another man in April. That man last heard from her around 8 p.m. the night before police found her body and later went to the home because she was not answering. In the alleged recording, prosecutors said Motykie accused Torbick of cheating. Similar accusations were described in the March domestic battery report. Motykie is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
Torbick’s life outside the courtroom has also become part of the public record. She worked as a nurse for more than 20 years and was employed at Fox River MedSpa in Algonquin. The business said she brought warmth, energy and genuine care to the workplace and had become part of its team in a short time. Prosecutors said she was a mother to a 12-year-old boy. During the alleged recording, Torbick pleaded about wanting her son, according to the prosecution account. That detail has become one of the ways the case connects the legal record to the personal loss behind it.
The prosecution file now includes a welfare check, a homicide ruling, an alleged seven-hour recording, a March warrant and added sexual assault charges. The next steps are procedural but important: evidence exchange, motions, future hearings and possible rulings on what the jury may hear. The May 29 court appearance kept the case active in Rolling Meadows, but no final outcome had been reported by June 3. Motykie remained detained while prosecutors continued to pursue the murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault charges.
Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.