Man charged in 1977 murder could be tried as juvenile

Prosecutors are trying to persuade a Cook County judge to transfer the case of a 46-year-old man charged in a murder committed 30 years ago from juvenile court into adult court.

In arguments before Juvenile Court Judge Paul Stralka on Tuesday, Assistant State's Attorney Jim McCarter said the violence of the crime committed in 1977 by Fred J. Rogers would have led to adult criminal charges if Rogers had been caught at the time.

Rogers was 16 when authorities allege he killed Kenneth Hellstrom Jr. Both were classmates at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

Hellstrom's mother Carol found the teen's body in the yard of their suburban Chicago home on January 19, 1977. He had stab wounds on his chest, back and arms.

Rogers and Hellstrom were smoking marijuana behind a church when Hellstrom made a sexual advance toward Rogers, who rebuffed him, prosecutors contend. Hellstrom, 17, made another advance and was stabbed seven times by the defendant.

Rogers left Illinois and moved around the country, living in Florida, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania before returned to the Homewood-area last year, police said. Rogers was a suspect in 1977, but authorities could not locate him for questioning.

In March, Homewood police pulled Rogers over on a traffic stop and charged him with a traffic violation and drug possession.

McCarter told Stralka that Rogers had been arrested dozens of times for such offenses as drunken driving and shooting at a relative. He said Rogers has shown by his own actions that he has chosen to pursue a life of crime.

"Unless you transfer him to Criminal Court, he will never be held accountable for the murder of Kenneth Hellstrom," McCarter said.

But Assistant Public Defender Richard Hutt said Rogers has mental disabilities and has struggled with addictions since childhood. Despite his problems, Rogers always has worked and is not a violent man.

Stralka is expected to rule later this month.

If Rogers is convicted in juvenile court, he could avoid jail time because in 1977 a juvenile convicted of murder could only be incarcerated until age 21. If he is prosecuted as an adult, he could face a minimum of 14 years in prison with an unlimited maximum sentence, according to prosecutors.