Elmhurst real estate agent shot to death by ex-boyfriend feared for her safety

I feel so terrible for Cindy Bischof. RIP. :(

He got way too many chances. If the laws had been stiffer, she'd still be alive today.

People need to be taken seriously when they file for orders of protection. It seems that this guy crossed the line on so many occasions, and was clearly a threat to society (or at least to her), but no one bothered to do anything until it was too late.

Heartbreaking, and entirely preventable.

Just another illustration of why we need concealed carry in this state and not more Daley-esque gun control. She could have defended herself if she was given the option to carry a handgun.

And that, folks, is why I will NEVER, EVER become involved again with a man. They're a heck of a lot more dangerous that women !!

Susan in Buffalo Grove wrote:

And that, folks, is why I will NEVER, EVER become involved again with a man. They're a heck of a lot more dangerous that women !!

Attagirl. Nice generalization of all men. With that attitude, you should be living with cats instead of a man. Have fun on Rosie's cruise ship.

Dog Lover wrote:

He got way too many chances. If the laws had been stiffer, she'd still be alive today.
People need to be taken seriously when they file for orders of protection. It seems that this guy crossed the line on so many occasions, and was clearly a threat to society (or at least to her), but no one bothered to do anything until it was too late.
Heartbreaking, and entirely preventable.

We got all them chances cuz he was American. If it were a foreigner, he wouldve been locked up for a long time.

concerned citizen wrote:

Just another illustration of why we need concealed carry in this state and not more Daley-esque gun control. She could have defended herself if she was given the option to carry a handgun.

CC-You have NO idea. You think Cindy walking around with a gun cocked would have saved her? Is she supposed to walk to her car everyday with a gun drawn. The coward came up from her behind. What if she was carrying files etc? Is she suppose to wear a holster everyday? Could she even have gotten to it in time? She would have been beeter wearing a bullet proof vest. The justice system FAILED her. Too bad the jerk didn't try harder to kill himself in September.

To Susan in Buffalo: Helllloooo? you dont think a woman is capable of doing the same thing? You must be living under a rock.

I certainly haven't given up on men. Not all men are violent -- BUT you have your head in the sand if you don't know that statistically men kill far more women (and other men) than women do. If you look at the number of women killed by men -- usually someone they know -- every day in this country, it looks like there is a war against women out there. The fact that the media reports a relatively small number of them shows how complacent we are about it. They look like random acts, but they are common, common, common.

laura wrote:

To Susan in Buffalo: Helllloooo? you dont think a woman is capable of doing the same thing? You must be living under a rock.

concerned citizen wrote:

Just another illustration of why we need concealed carry in this state and not more Daley-esque gun control. She could have defended herself if she was given the option to carry a handgun.

right.. by the time she reached for her gun she'd be dead..he'd kill himself and then someone would steal the gun to use in other crimes. WAKE UP

I absolutely agree with those who feel this is more of a male-on-female problem than the opposite. For whatever reason, men get this "If I can't have you, nobody can" attitude. Women will go after the other woman (like the guy has nothing to do with it). I think this guy was on easy street and didn't like having the younger woman and good life removed from his life.
The courts need to come to grips with the fact that women who are married to men or those who have been in long term relationships KNOW the mental condition of their men and what they are capable about far more than shrinks, lawyers, cops and judges!
I've sworn off men as well, although I'm older. Have been divorced for five years and do not date AT ALL and no, am not gay. Life is much nicer without romantic involvements.

spider man wrote:

<quoted text>
We got all them chances cuz he was American. If it were a foreigner, he wouldve been locked up for a long time.

no he wouldn't. There are plenty of illegal gangbangers constantly committing crimes out here.

Cindy was a commercial real estate broker and a damn good one. She was not a what is commonly referred to as a "real estate agent".

My thoughts are with Cindy's family.

Susan in Buffalo Grove wrote:

And that, folks, is why I will NEVER, EVER become involved again with a man. They're a heck of a lot more dangerous that women !!

Amen! I'm happily married but found one of the few. And although I never met a violent stalker every SINGLE man I broke up with drove past my house, wrote me letters, begged me to come back and one even called my MOM (I was a grown woman living alone).. My friends used to joke I had to change my phone number every time I broke up with a guy. years later they'd STILL try to find me. But they were harmless..

But honestly you never know.

You have to be very careful and not give men your personal information. But they will follow you and stalk you.
All my friends have that same deal.

I do not envy single women since people are crazier than ever now. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to my husband. It took me SO LONG to find him.

First off I am a victim of a crime such as this and all I can say is the laws are too weak. My life was almost taken and the individual is now in jail awaiting sentencing . This was not his first offense with me it is his second felony. He could possibly get a year probation. In the mean time I have to worry when he gets out will he break in what will he do I worry for my pets as well and was told that I should consider staying at a shelter and boarding my dogs .. I am the victim here why shoudl I move, why should I have to be separated from my pets,, Why can't the laws be stricter , especially for repeat offenders, If you were a victim of a violent crime would you go through the trouble of reporting it etc, knowing that penalties are about as meaningful to the offender as a slap on the wrist. Orders of Protection do not stop a bullet nor a knife or any other weapon. Citizens must stand up and be heard, laws need to change and repeat offenders need to be locked up, no time off for good behaviour, no day for day time served, longer probation times, longer jail times, possible monitoring bracelets like they use in house arrests. I no longer want to be a victim and live in fear, my kids whom are older still want their mom around. FOLKS IT IS TIME TO SPEAK UP ..... LAWS CHANGE WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER . More innocent lives are suffering through this fear and pain and until lawmakers revisit this, many more shall be hospitalized, beaten, bruised or die....

nick wrote:

<quoted text>
Amen! I'm happily married but found one of the few. And although I never met a violent stalker every SINGLE man I broke up with drove past my house, wrote me letters, begged me to come back and one even called my MOM (I was a grown woman living alone).. My friends used to joke I had to change my phone number every time I broke up with a guy. years later they'd STILL try to find me. But they were harmless..
But honestly you never know.
You have to be very careful and not give men your personal information. But they will follow you and stalk you.
All my friends have that same deal.
I do not envy single women since people are crazier than ever now. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to my husband. It took me SO LONG to find him.

All you men haters make this sound like this was a random act. They had been living together for three years. Your generalization of men is really sad. You're more likely to be killed in a car accident then you are to be shot by your boyfriend/husband. Are you going to stop driving cars?

As a top Chicago journalist, I can say without a doubt that if this crazy, creepy, monster were not white, he would have been locked up a long time ago. But, since he was white, he was given a slap on the wrist, supervision type of thing. Shameful. He was pure evil, and he kept getting the benefit of the doubt.

This quantifies my vow of if I am EVER in this situation...

I will take justice into my own hands...and deal with the consequences...

I have seen far too many women who have been mowed down by former loved ones with active Order of Protections, etc. and they still end up dead...

I wonder if she used the piece of paper(order of protection) to deflect the bullets coming at her? I find it really sad that people are expected to just cower and die, instead of bien able to fight back. Most people are stating that the "laws" are too weak? How many laws did this guy break While commiting this crime? The only thing that would have saved this woman would have been a gun! Period!

The real estate industry is starting to take its toll on everyone. This is a sad ending.