A young Wisconsin couple who were just one week away from celebrating their first wedding anniversary were discovered dead inside a car stopped along an Illinois roadway late Monday night, authorities said.
Rachel Dumovich, 29, and her husband, Brandon Dumovich, 30, both of Sharon, Wisconsin, were found fatally shot in a vehicle with its hazard lights flashing, according to a statement from the Harvard Police Department.
Just before midnight on October 6, an officer patrolling Route 14 northbound near Burbank Street in Harvard, Illinois, stopped to investigate what appeared to be a disabled car. When the officer approached, he found the couple inside—Rachel in the driver’s seat and Brandon in the passenger’s seat—both deceased.
Authorities later confirmed their identities through the McHenry County Coroner’s Office. News outlets including Lake & McHenry County Scanner, NBC 5 Chicago, and the Kansas City Star reported that the Dumoviches had been married on October 12, 2024.
Rachel Reimann and Brandon Dumovich’s Wedding Website – The Knot
Their wedding website on The Knot painted a picture of a lifelong love story. Rachel wrote that she first met Brandon in middle school when they were both 12 years old. “I caught Brandon’s attention by stealing cologne from his locker and running away with it,” she recalled fondly.
The two remained close friends for 15 years before finally beginning a romantic relationship in 2022. Brandon proposed the following summer at Big Cedar Lake in Slinger, Wisconsin—a place filled with family memories for Rachel, who spent many summers there at her grandparents’ home.
“We can’t wait to share the next chapter of our love story surrounded by our friends and family,” Rachel wrote on the page.
Police said preliminary findings indicate that each victim suffered a single gunshot wound. A firearm was recovered inside the vehicle.
Authorities initially warned residents to remain inside due to the heavy police presence in the area, but later determined there was “no ongoing threat to the community.”
The case remains under active investigation, and police have not released any additional details about the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Harvard Police Department at (815) 943-4431. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling (815) 943-4343 or by emailing crimestoppers@cityofharvard.org.