Murder of Dean Fawcett involving Paul Modrowski featured on Dead of Winter

Dean Fawcett was brutally murdered and dismembered, his friend Paul Modrowski was held accountable for the killing. Dead of Winter on Investigation Discovery spotlights the case.

On January 18, 1993, a mother and daughter made a startling discovery in the snow while walking along train tracks near their home in Barrington, Illinois.

They found Fawcett’s headless body, which was also missing hands and an arm.

Barrington Police and Illinois State Police began an investigation and later uncovered that Fawcett was involved in a check-writing scheme.

Fawcett reportedly opened a checking account on December 1, 1992, at a bank in Berwyn, Illinois, and deposited $100.

Between December 22 and December 27, 1992, he wrote 40 bad checks.

Fawcett’s friends, Briente Palazaeno, Rose Faraci, Paul Modrowski , Nadine Lenarczak, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert, were also involved in the scheme and “enjoyed the proceeds.”

It all took a turn for the worst when Fawcett complained to Lenarczak that his wallet, identification, and checks were missing.

He suspected Faraci and Modrowski of stealing his belongings.

Lenarczak picked up Fawcett and brought him back to her motel room where he contacted the two men.

A short while later, they arrived in Faraci’s vehicle and Modrowski and Fawcett got into an argument.

Lenarczak said she saw Modrowski push Fawcett into the car, and that was the last time she saw him alive.

On April 22, 1993, Faraci was arrested in connection with Fawcett’s murder.

Faraci told police that he was present when the murder took place, but it was Modrowski who shot and killed Fawcett in a field before cutting off his head, hands, and an arm.

He claimed Modrowski murdered Fawcett because he was going to go to the police about their check-writing scheme.

Faraci went on to say that he was forced to watch the murder. If he hadn’t, he would have been killed too.

He was acquitted of the charges at the Cook County Circuit Court in Rolling Meadows.

Modrowski was arrested on April 28, 1993.

Two years later, he was found guilty of first-degree murder under the theory of accountability and was sentenced to life in prison at the maximum-security Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill.

Dead of Winter — Last Christmas, airs at 10pm on Investigation Discovery.