Wisconsin takes a shot at Ill. man acquitted
A man acquitted of murder in Illinois is in the Rock County Jail, facing charges that he dumped the body in Riverside Park in Janesville.
Raymond C. Williams, 39, Rockford, Ill., was transported to Wisconsin on Wednesday after being extradited.
The Rock County criminal complaint states that Williams beat a man to death with a pipe and forced a woman to help him move the body from Rockford to Janesville.
The body of Travel D. Hester, 27, was found near a boat launch in Riverside Park on March 13, 2007. Rockford police arrested Williams two days later after a joint investigation with Janesville police.
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Sep 7, 2009 at 9:23 p.m.
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I sat through every excruciating day of that trail. The prosecutors did not do their job to the best of their ability. It took them two years to collect a mountain of evidence against this man and a few days to mess up the case. Now my nephews have no father and my sons have no uncle, and no one was punished for it. I am grateful to the state of Wisconsin for trying to bring this murderer to justice.
Jul 17, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.
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Earlier story:
http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/apr/17/...
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Sure wish all the people complaining about plea bargains would remember cases like this. There seems to be no coverage online from the Rockford Register-Star, so who knows what actually happened at that trial, but the jury didn't believe the case beyond a reasonable doubt -- or perhaps there was some jury nullification going on. And a man who told his girlfriend "I told you I was a killer, you didn't believe me" walked free (well, almost). But a plea bargain would have meant guaranteed jail time. Maybe we'll have to be satisfied with his time served awaiting trial (assuming he was not out on bond).
Jul 17, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.
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Tipping fee. ;-)
Jul 17, 2009 at 11 a.m.
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Why?? The crime they are going to prosecute this individual for happened in WI.
Why would we bill IL??
That makes no sense......
Jul 17, 2009 at 10:24 a.m.
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They could not convict this guy in Illinois with one of the victims as a first account witness? Thanks a lot. Hopefully Wisconsin will prove to be more competent. We should send the bill for the trial to Illinois.
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