Defendant In Grisly Joliet Double Murder Wants Statements Suppressed
JOLIET, Ill. (STMW) -- Lawyers for one of four people charged in a Joliet double slaying last year want a Will County judge to suppress statements their client made while being interrogated by police.
Circuit Court Judge Gerald Kinney will review a more than 24-hour-long recording of Joshua Miner while he was questioned at the Joliet police station following the January 2013 slayings at a house on Hickory Street.
The defense alleges in motions that Miner, 25, was questioned under duress and without a lawyer present. Prosecutors said Miner was read his rights and was not coerced during questioning.
Miner; Alissa Massaro, 20; Adam Landerman, 19; and Bethany McKee, 18, are charged with killing Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins, both 22, inside Massaro's father's house, 1121 Hickory St., after luring them there to steal drugs and money, according to prosecutors.
At a hearing Monday, Joliet police Detective Pat Schumacher testified that Miner was placed in handcuffs and made two statements voluntarily before being taken to the police station by Schumacher and another Joliet officer. During the ride to the station, Miner expressed concern about being in a police interrogation room, Schumacher said.
The recording of the questioning shows Miner eating and speaking with Joliet detectives and also sleeping during about 24 hours. All of the questioning happened in an 81/2-hour period, with the bulk of the questions asked in three hours, the recording indicates.
Schumacher told Kinney that Miner was not free to leave but had been told he was not yet charged with a crime.
He also testified about a waiver-of-rights form signed by him, Miner and a witnessing officer that was dated at 4:48 p.m. but that Miner didn't sign until hours later. Miner twice waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning, the video shows.
At one point Monday, prosecutors asked Schumacher if Miner had been crying or appeared to be in mental distress during the interrogation.
"Not that I noticed," Schumacher said.
Massaro pleaded guilty last month to lesser charges, two counts of robbery and two counts of concealment of a homicide, in exchange for the first-degree murder charge being dropped and her agreeing to testify against Miner, Landerman and McKee at their trials. Each is being tried separately, and Kinney on Monday set a July 14 trial date for McKee.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
