John Abendshien, the man who owned the Chicago-area home made famous by the holiday film classic Home Alone, was recently found dead in a suburban park. About a week before his death, the man had been arrested after an investigation revealed that he was in possession of child pornography. Police were given a tip, and found a ton of evidence throughout their investigation. While he was arrested and charged with seven felonies, he was granted bail and not held in jail. There aren’t a lot of details about his arrest and what was found, but it’s likely his death had something to do with his arrest.
His injuries seemed to be self-inflicted.
At 5:47 p.m. on April 22, 2026, police were called after a body was found at the Lake Forest Open Lands: Derwen Mawr Nature Preserve, ABC 7 Chicago reported, citing the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
The body was identified as 79-year-old John Abendshien, a resident of Lake Forest. According to a preliminary autopsy, his cause of death was “asphyxia in a manner consistent with being self-inflicted,” NBC Chicago reported.
Members from the Lake Forest Police Department had gone to Abendshien’s home on April 16, 2026, to execute a search warrant as part of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation, according to a news release.
He was out on bail at the time of his death.
Based on multiple cyber tips, police discovered an online account associated with Abendshien was used in the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse material. “The warrant was executed without incident, and electronic evidence was recovered from the residence,” the release said.
Abendshien was taken into custody, and after investigators interviewed him, he was charged with seven felonies. They included three counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, a class 2 felony, and four counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, a class 3 felony.
“These cases are deeply concerning, and we are committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those involved,” Police Chief John Burke said in the statement. “We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect children and ensure community safety.”
Abendshien wrote a book about his time during the filming of ‘Home Alone.‘
Abendshien lived in the house while they were filming the movie in the early 1990s.
“We had a large master bedroom suite that we converted into an apartment,” he told ABC 7 Chicago. “As long as we kept out of the camera eye … we were free to roam and watch scenes as they were being filmed.”
Much of the book details the experiences seeing the film unfold as he stood by and watched.
“Bottom line, my feelings today: I have serendipitously been given a gift, and I want to share the gift,” he said. Abendshien sold the house in 2012.
