Illinois Police Unveil Shocking Plot Behind Quadruple Murder of Family and Dogs

True Crime Today | A True Crime Podcast

Authorities have released the final report on a quadruple homicide that claimed the lives of a family of four and their three dogs in September 2023, revealing a complex web of deception orchestrated by a scorned fiancée.
On September 17, 2023, Romeoville police conducted a welfare check at a suburban Chicago home after one of the residents failed to show up for work. Upon arrival, officers observed multiple dead dogs through a window and signs of disarray inside the house. Entering the residence, they discovered the bodies of Alberto Rolon, 38, his wife Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two sons, 9-year-old Adriel and 7-year-old Diego. Three deceased dogs were also found at the scene.
The Romeoville Police Department's final report uncovers a convoluted murder plot masterminded by 50-year-old Ermalinda Palomo, the fiancée of Bartolomei’s lover. According to investigators, Bartolomei had been involved in a long-standing affair with her co-worker, 32-year-old Nathaniel Huey Jr. When Palomo learned of the affair, she allegedly crafted multiple online personas over several years, posing as members of a Mexican drug cartel to manipulate Huey.
"Some of the roles she established for various characters include organization bosses and shot-callers, hitmen, and hackers," the police report stated.
Through these fictitious characters, Palomo convinced Huey that he was a member of the cartel and that there was a "mole" within the organization—identifying Bartolomei as the traitor. Days before the murders, Huey received messages warning that Bartolomei was planning to attack him. Under the guise of her online personas, Palomo planned the murders with Huey, providing him with the family's home layout and details about neighborhood surveillance. Unaware of his fiancée's deception, Huey followed her instructions.
"They discuss the persons residing at the residence, including Zoraida, Albert, and their two children, as well as the number and types of dogs in the house," the report revealed. "Ermalinda tells Nathaniel to cause damage to make the scene appear to be a burglary committed by kids. Ermalinda reassures Nathaniel by saying, 'Many murders go unsolved.'"
Palomo also instructed Huey on how to carry out the killings: "Move through, locate and hit the two adults first. Then two kids," one message read.
Surveillance footage captured Palomo driving Huey to the crime scene shortly after 3 a.m. on September 16, 2023. Huey entered the home and fatally shot the four family members and three dogs a total of 20 times using a 9mm handgun, according to police.
Days after the murders, Romeoville Police Deputy Chief Chris Burne announced that Huey and Palomo had been identified as suspects. An alert was issued to law enforcement agencies, and on September 20, 2023, their vehicle was spotted over 600 miles away in Catoosa, Oklahoma. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, crashed, and caught fire.
As officers approached, they heard two gunshots. Huey was found dead in the driver's seat, and Palomo, suffering from a gunshot wound, was in the passenger seat. She was transported to a hospital where she later died. Police believe Huey shot Palomo before taking his own life.
Following the release of the final report, Romeoville's police chief expressed the community's grief. "The tragic deaths of a young family, including two young children, will forever impact the surviving family and those that investigated this case. Nothing can prepare a person for such an incident, and nothing can justify such a senseless act of violence," he stated. "Although finalized, the finality of this case unfortunately does not mean closure for so many trying to grieve."
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