Another potential witness found in 1982 Round Lake Beach murder
A Lake County prosecutor said Monday another potential witness has been located in the case against Robert Bostic, who is scheduled to go on trial this week for a 1982 murder.
Bostic, 71, was charged earlier this year with the June 25, 1982 shooting death of Carlton Richmond, 31, in a Round Lake Beach garage that had been converted into a clubhouse for the Wheelmen motorcycle club.
Assistant State's Attorney Ken LaRue told Associate Judge George Bridges that investigators spoke last week with an inmate of the Winnebago County Jail who claims to have information relevant to the case.
LaRue said the inmate, Kurt Larson, 43, formerly of Antioch, claims he was at Bostic's house on the day after the shooting and heard Bostic say he had killed someone and needed to get out of town.
Larson is held in Winnebago County on home repair fraud charges, LaRue said, and on July 11 was sentenced to two years in prison for obstruction of justice in Lake County.
Lake County court records show Larson also has felony convictions for DUI, criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and theft.
LaRue said Larson would be transferred from the Winnebago County Jail to the Lake County jail sometime Monday to await the chance to testify.
Last week, LaRue said he would call James Price to the stand to testify that he heard Bostic brag that he had killed Richmond over Richmond's failure to pay off a drinking bet Bostic had won.
Henry Bostic, Robert Bostic's nephew, is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence for slashing Price's throat during a 2007 argument.
Bostic's defense attorneys Michael and Joseph Salvi claim that witnesses Round Lake Beach police say identified Bostic as the killer deny they ever told investigators anything implicating Bostic in the crime.
LaRue has said Bostic can be heard on telephone calls instructing family members to encourage witnesses to change their stories, and that some of those tapes will be played during the trial.
Jury selection began Monday and is scheduled to continue Tuesday, with opening statements in the case expected later in the day.