Nicholas Caban, 23, and Jacob Firestone, 22, have each been convicted on Saturday April 18, 2026 of Second-Degree murder in the killing of Matthew Ascaridis on September 17, 2022, after Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against the two male suspects on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Matthew Ascardi’s wife, Darci Ascaridis, testified that the couple was packing for an upcoming trip, and heard loud noises near their home around 11 p.m. on September 16, 2022. Their large property is located on the beach. The police were called twice for a noise complaint that night, but the Lake County Forest Preserves police advised that their response would be delayed.
A witness that was with Firestone and Caban saw Ascaridis walking down the slope to the beach holding a flashlight, but he testified he left before the murder.
The Lake County Forest Preserves police arrived about 2:15 a.m. to respond to the noise complaint, but reported there was nothing amiss.
At 5:12 a.m. Saturday, September 17, 2022, Highland Park Police responded to a report of an unresponsive person on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in the water. When officers arrived at the scene near the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, they located a deceased person who was observed to have suffered trauma. The body was later identified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office as the body of Matthew Ascaridis, age 45.
Shortly after police found Ascaridis’ body, Highland Park police officers responded to a 911 call from Caban’s home, where they found the defendants outside the residence. Both defendants were injured — Jacob Firestone was transported by Highland Park Fire Department paramedics to Highland Park Hospital, and then transferred to Evanston Hospital for surgical treatment of a brain bleed. Caban was transported to Highland Park Hospital for treatment of a facial laceration and a laceration at the back of his head. The defendants told investigators that Ascaridis had attacked them and that Ascaridis fell and injured himself during the confrontation, but prosecutors argued those claims were inconsistent with medical testimony and DNA evidence recovered from the scene.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office autopsy indicated Ascaridis was repeatedly struck with significant force, causing his head to snap side to side and result in a lacerated spinal cord and broken neck, according to a testimony from Dr. Eimad Zakariya of the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Ascaridis’ death was ruled a homicide from a physical fight by the The Lake County Coroner’s Office.
Preliminary investigation led by the Lake County Forest Preserve Police and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force showed Ascaridis had a violent confrontation with Firestone and Caban that resulted in his death on the beach near his home.
During the ensuing investigation, officers found a semi-automatic weapon in Caban’s bedroom that belonged to him, and he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
Related to the original incident, Firestone was initially charged with two counts of obstructing justice after investigators determined that Firestone was responsible for attempting to conceal evidence after the fatal incident had occurred.
After both defendants were in custody, State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated, “I want to thank all our law enforcement partners for their joint efforts in this case. The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and Forest Preserve Police Department conducted an excellent investigation. We greatly appreciate the assistance of Deerfield Police and the Kane County Sheriff’s Department in apprehending the offenders only hours after our office filed the charges.”
Significantly, Coroner Jennifer Banek’s team played a crucial role in analyzing the crime scene.
The sentencing hearing for Caban and Firestone is scheduled for June 18, 2026
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