Aurora man wants murder trial moved out of Kane County

A 46-year-old Aurora man accused of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend in January wants his court proceedings moved out of Kane County.

Christopher Whetstone, of the 500 block of Charles Street, argues in a court motion that news articles detailing his past criminal history and domestic abuse will unfairly prejudice a future jury against him.

"I believe that the prejudice against me in Kane County is so overwhelming that I cannot receive a fair trial if the pending charges are heard and judged by members of the Kane County jurisdiction," wrote Whetstone in an affidavit requesting a change in venue.

Whetstone faces between 45 and 85 years in prison if found guilty of firing the gun that killed Rachel Taylor, 22, of Aurora.

At the time of Whetstone's arrest, police said the two had a domestic dispute and he shot Taylor several times in the stomach down the street from his home.

Whetstone ran off, but witnesses helped track him down about 10 minutes later, police said.

According to court records, Whetstone's criminal history dates back to at least 2000, and he spent time in jail for resisting arrest and domestic battery.

"The disclosure of this type of information has usurped the authority of the court in this county to use its discretion and conduct a balancing test as to what information the potential jurors from this county will learn about me at trial," Whetstone's motion argues. "This type of exposure gives me reasonable ground to fear that prejudice actually exists against me from the juror pool."

Judge Karen Simpson will consider the request Aug. 19.

Whetstone has been held at the Kane County jail on $2 million bail since his arrest, meaning he must post $200,000 to be released while the case is pending.