ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. (AP) – Authorities are defending the time it took to conclude that an Illinois police officer killed himself and was not killed by others.

Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Commander George Filenko told reporters Wednesday that police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz elaborately staged a crime scene, scattering his pepper spray, baton and other equipment before shooting himself twice on Sept. 1.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Christopher Covelli added that investigators had to filter through thousands of pages of financial documents, 6,500 pages of text messages and 40,000 emails.

Filenko said detectives wanted to be certain before releasing a definitive conclusion and that they only arrived at that point about a week and a half ago.

He said, “We don’t jump to conclusions. We go where the facts lead us.”