A patrol officer discovered the bodies around 8:30 p.m. The officer saw the parked car with the driver side door open and went to investigate, said police. Both teens were dead at the scene and ruled homicides by the Lake County coroner's office.
"He wasn't in the streets. He was trying to get good grades. He was athletic. He was trying to get out of Gary," said Ronald Williams, 17, who played football with Hester at Gary's Roosevelt High School. Williams said Hester had recently transferred to the school.