Court filings say the victim, five months pregnant, suffered about 70 stab wounds during a meeting arranged over a truck sale.
DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A 19-year-old west suburban man has been ordered held without pretrial release after prosecutors said he stabbed 30-year-old Eliza Morales about 70 times and set fire to her apartment Monday evening during a Facebook Marketplace exchange, killing Morales and her unborn child.
The case has moved quickly, with investigators outlining surveillance video, a confession and recovered evidence in court this week. Authorities say the meeting at Morales’ building stemmed from the sale of a 1994 Ford Ranger listed online by her husband. Prosecutors allege the suspect, identified as Nedas Revuckas of Westmont, returned to the apartment carrying a tool, attacked Morales inside her doorway and then started a fire in the kitchen. A judge on Thursday called the teenager a continuing threat and ordered him detained as the investigation proceeds. Prosecutors say more lab testing is underway and additional charges are possible.
According to a sworn proffer discussed in court, the exchange began over the weekend when Morales’ husband posted the pickup for sale online. On Monday, around 5:30 p.m., security cameras recorded Morales meeting Revuckas in the vestibule of her building in the 2300 block of Ogden Avenue. The video shows him step out, receive a screwdriver from Morales, then reenter minutes later with the shiny tool at his side as she led him toward her unit. At 5:47 p.m., the apartment door opened briefly; moments later, the handle turned from the inside as if someone was trying to leave. About 6:08 p.m., smoke seeped under the door. Fire crews arrived within minutes to what they initially believed was a kitchen fire and found Morales near the entrance, unresponsive and bleeding. Her two-year-old child was not home. The family’s elderly dog, Zula, had a stab wound between the eyes and later received treatment. “There are a number of pieces of evidence already at the lab,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said Thursday, adding that testing could inform additional counts.
Investigators said Revuckas later admitted he was at the building to return license plates and receive a bill of sale but initially claimed he left through the main doors, which the video did not show. In a subsequent interview, detectives said he confessed to attacking Morales after becoming angry about the truck’s condition. An autopsy found approximately 70 stab wounds, most to the head and neck, along with defensive injuries. Soot was present in her airway and burns were noted, consistent with a fire set in the kitchen using household items and chemicals placed on the stove, authorities said. Detectives recovered a bag from a Downers Grove hardware store trash can containing a camouflage-style jacket, other clothing with apparent blood, and broken pieces of Morales’ phone. They also reported finding blood on the driver’s side of the red pickup, along with cash on the seat. The dog was stabbed and kicked, investigators said, but survived. Berlin said a sexual assault kit was collected; Revuckas has denied sexual assault and no such charge had been filed as of Thursday. A judge scheduled the next hearing for mid-February.
Family members told reporters Morales was cooking dinner when she was attacked. Loved ones gathered for a candlelight vigil Wednesday, leaving flowers and handwritten notes near the apartment entrance. Angelica Silva, Morales’ mother-in-law, described the killing as “pure evil” and said the family had never met the suspect before the sale. Downers Grove Police Chief Michael DeVries said officers worked the case with “a calm sense of urgency,” crediting investigators and partner agencies for quickly identifying a suspect. Officers said they located the Ranger at a Westmont address late Monday and took Revuckas into custody around 11:42 p.m. He lives with his girlfriend, according to statements read in court. Authorities said he later guided detectives to items he said he discarded, including broken parts of the victim’s phone near a retail corridor off Finley Road and a knife disposal site referenced in interviews. The precise recovery details of the weapon were not disclosed in open court.
Records filed in DuPage County show Revuckas is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, aggravated arson, armed robbery and aggravated cruelty to animals. At a detention hearing Thursday in Wheaton, Judge Joshua Dieden ordered him held in jail, calling the defendant a danger to the community. Prosecutors said they will seek to classify the killing as exceptionally brutal and heinous, a legal standard that can allow a natural life sentence in Illinois. They also said forensic work continues on swabs and other items submitted to the state crime lab. The defense noted Revuckas has no prior criminal history, is a Downers Grove North High School graduate and was employed at a painting company while studying to become an electrician. An arraignment is expected on Feb. 18 in DuPage County Circuit Court.
The investigation has also focused on the minutes before the fire. In court, prosecutors described video showing a struggle at the apartment door from 5:47 p.m. to just before 6:10 p.m., when smoke became visible. Firefighters reported finding household items stacked on the stove top and evidence of accelerants, consistent with statements the suspect allegedly gave to detectives. The coroner’s preliminary findings list multiple sharp-force injuries as the cause of death, with intrauterine fetal demise attributed to maternal injuries. Preliminary findings also note soot in the airway, suggesting Morales was alive when the fire began. Prosecutors said the family’s dog escaped through a sliding door during the blaze and was transported to a veterinary hospital. No neighbors reported injuries from the smoke, though residents were temporarily displaced by cleanup and inspections.
Community members continued to leave flowers outside the Ogden Avenue building Thursday afternoon, even as investigators moved in and out with paper bags and camera equipment. A few residents lingered behind yellow tape to watch, trading quiet stories about the family that had moved in less than two years ago. “She was always with her little one,” said a neighbor who declined to give her name. “It’s just heartbreaking.” Outside the DuPage County courthouse, relatives embraced after the judge’s ruling. “We are grateful for the quick work, but nothing brings her back,” a cousin said. DeVries, the police chief, told reporters he was proud of his department’s response but mindful of the loss. “Violent crimes like this shake a community,” he said. “Our commitment is to see this case through.”
As of Thursday evening, Revuckas remained in the DuPage County Jail. Prosecutors said the next major step is the Feb. 18 arraignment, when formal pleas are typically entered and a preliminary schedule is set. Officials said they expect to provide additional updates once lab testing is complete and the court sets further dates. A funeral service for Morales was planned for later Thursday, according to family members.
Author note: Last updated January 29, 2026.