Suspect in Bartlett man's murder misses court; trial for 2nd man set
A man accused of covering up the murder of a Bartlett man, who went missing in August 2014, initially skipped court this week but eventually showed up after an arrest warrant was issued.
And the man accused of killing Keith Crawford, 36, supposedly threatened Crawford's mother before his death, Kane County court records show.
Gary M. Bennett, 38, of Denver and formerly of Algonquin, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Crawford, a father of five who was last seen leaving a party Aug. 10, 2014 in West Dundee.
Bennett goes on trial in February and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted. Bennett and another man - Joan Sebastian Vado-Bonilla, 29, formerly of Lake in the Hills and now of West Dundee - were charged in connection with Crawford's death in August 2015.
Vado-Bonilla, who faces up to five years in prison if convicted of felony concealment of a homicide, missed his court appearance and authorities issued an arrest warrant, records show. He made it to court later that day and was not jailed, records show.
Prosecutors believe Crawford was robbed and killed over drug money.
In a recent court filing, Crawford's mother, Regina Miles, told investigators Bennett had threatened her after Crawford was arrested in May 2013.
"The same day (Crawford) was arrested, the defendant came to her house, which she shared with Crawford, and demanded Crawford's safe," according to court filings. "The safe contained money and birth certificates. When Miles refused to give defendant the safe, he told her that she had until 9 o'clock to give him the safe or there was going to be trouble."
The court filing did not detail what, if anything, happened afterward but prosecutors say it corroborates the "hostile relationship" between Bennett and Crawford and shows the two had an "debtor/creditor illicit relationship."
Meanwhile, Bennett's defense attorney has argued in court papers to have hearsay statements allowed at his client's trial.
Defense attorney Stephen Richards contends that two 23-year-old men - one from Carpentersville and one from Bartlett - killed Crawford for supposedly shorting his customers in drug deals.
Kane County Judge John Barsanti has not made a blanket decision whether to allow all or none of the hearsay from trial and might issue individual rulings as the trial proceeds.
Bennett, being held on $5 million bail at the Kane County jail, is due in court Friday.