Joliet Murder Trial: Prosecutors Seek Guilty Verdict

Closing arguments concluded Friday morning in the trial of Jon Hansen, who faces first-degree murder and attempted murder charges related to the final two shootings of Romeo Nance's 2024 Joliet rampage.

The case stems from a series of attacks on Jan. 21, 2024. Nance killed seven family members on West Acres Road. He later picked up Hansen and his girlfriend. During an afternoon drive, Nance shot and killed Toyosi Bakare and Mario Guerrero. Nance fled to Texas and died by suicide after police surrounded him.

Prosecutors Mark Shlifka and Alexandra Molesky argued that Hansen orchestrated the final attacks. They cited texts and Facebook messages where Hansen directed Milwaukee King gang members to delete their communications. Shlifka noted that Hansen ordered Nance to stop at a 7-Eleven to buy gloves for the group. The state contends Hansen acted as the treasurer and planner while Nance served as the enforcer. Molesky told the jury that Hansen put his phone in airplane mode during the shootings to hide his activity.

Molesky urged the jury to find Hansen guilty under an accountability theory. She stated that Hansen is not a survivor of the crime spree but a central figure. She pointed out that Hansen called Nance his guardian angel after Nance's death. The prosecutor argued that Hansen's relief at Nance's suicide stemmed from the fact that Nance could no longer testify against him.

Defense attorney Jeff Tomczak countered that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence. He argued that Nance and his girlfriend had already planned the family killings to secure custody of their son. Tomczak suggested that Nance was the primary suspect and that Hansen was merely a passenger. He referred to Hansen as a useful idiot who was trapped in the car with a violent driver.

Tomczak questioned why the prosecution did not call Hansen's girlfriend to testify, given that she was also in the vehicle. He asked the jury to consider if the state presented quality and quantity in its case. The defense highlighted the absence of direct evidence showing Hansen fired the shots. Tomczak noted that Hansen led police to the handgun he used, which he had discarded in the DuPage River.

The jury of 12 is currently deliberating in Courtroom 502 of the Will County courthouse. They must reach a unanimous decision on the charges of first-degree murder for Bakare's death and attempted murder for Guerrero's injury. The trial lasted several weeks and included testimony from gang associates and analysis of digital records.

A verdict is expected soon. If found guilty, Hansen faces a minimum 20-year prison sentence for the murder charge and additional time for the attempted murder. The case concludes a two-year legal process that began when police arrested Hansen months after the shootings.