Murder victim's last words: Suspect 'running this way', prosecutors say

The last thing Patricia McNamara told her husband before she was beaten to death inside the couple's Fox River Grove home was that his son, the man now accused of her murder, was running toward her.

That final conversation was among the new details in the slaying unveiled by McHenry County prosecutors in court Friday as they asked a judge to order suspect Martin Green held without bond while he awaits trial.

The effort was a partial success. Judge Sharon Prather denied the request to revoke Green's bond entirely, but ordered it increased from $3 million to $5 million. Green, 26, now must post $500,000 cash to go free, something his attorney later said would never happen.

A grand jury this week indicted the Fox River Grove man on six counts of first-degree murder alleging he beat McNamara, 52, to death with a hammer the morning of Feb. 11 at the family home. He could face life in prison if convicted.

The slaying, a prosecutor said in court Friday, happened shortly after Green's father, John Green, gave him an ultimatum.

"His father told him he needed to get help and get his life straightened out or he would be kicked out of the house the next day," said Philip Hiscock, criminal division chief for the McHenry County State's Attorney.

Green, Hiscock said, left the home in the 100 block of Gladys Avenue about 6:30 a.m. that day, returned briefly to retrieve a backpack, and left again. John Green was out looking for his son when he received a call from McNamara.

"She asked if he had found (Martin Green) and then said 'Oh, here he comes. He's running this way,'" Hiscock said.

McNamara was found dead inside the home a short time later, a hammer covered in what appeared to be blood nearby. An autopsy, Hiscock said, showed McNamara was struck at least 13 times in the head. She also had defensive wounds on her arms.

About the same time McNamara was being discovered, Green showed up at a Cary home across the Fox River from his own wearing only a fleece coat, shirt and boxer shorts, Hiscock said. According to the homeowner, Green appeared to have ice on his legs and claimed to have fallen into the river while fishing, said Hiscock.

The homeowner let Green take a shower to warm up and then called police, who took him into custody there.

According to the prosecutor's statement in court Friday, Green had threatened family members at least twice in the months before McNamara's slaying. In June, Hiscock said, Green showed up outside his brother's home in Chicago saying, "If you open that door, I'll slit your throat."

Also last summer, Hiscock said, Green was walking near a forest with his sister when he suddenly grabbed her and tried to drag her into the woods. She fought him off and ran away, Hiscock said. And in October, he said, Green tried unsuccessfully to obtain a gun.

"It's clear that the defendant presents a threat to his family and the community," Hiscock added. Defense attorney Henry Sugden said Friday that he likely will be seeking a psychiatric evaluation in the coming weeks initially to determine if his client is mentally fit to stand trial, but also to lay the groundwork for a possible defense.

"I'm sure we'll delve into the issue of insanity," he said.

Sugden said he will use a private investigator - funded up to $3,000 by the county - to investigate Green's mental condition leading up to the murder, including reports he had been in inpatient treatment three to four times recently.

Green, who formally pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday, is scheduled back in court March 25 for a pretrial status hearing.