Life sentence upheld in 30-year-old murders of Downers Grove couple

An appeals court upheld the life sentence of a man convicted of the murder of a Downers Grove couple in 1978, DuPage authorities announced today.

Billy Lee Warren, 57, of Stickney, had challenged his conviction and sentence three years ago.

Glenn and Betty Schulz were found early May 17, 1978, stabbed to death in their bedroom as their grandchildren, ages 5 and 2, slept down the hall.

Prosecutors said the Schulzes, both 52, never screamed or struggled before being bound and gagged after their assailant threatened to harm the children if the couple resisted.

They were discovered by their son-in-law who arrived to pick up his children. The hands and feet of the Schulzes had been bound; each had been stabbed multiple times. The children were unharmed.

The case remained unsolved until 2001, when Downers Grove police began re-interviewing witnesses.

From the onset, Warren had emerged as police's prime suspect. He had a well-documented disdain for Glenn Schulz, his no-nonsense manager at the Broadview plant where they both worked.

Police, though, never made an arrest, mainly because Warren's brother, Gene, provided an alibi. The crime remained cold for 23 years. Then, in 2001, former Downers Grove Police Lt. Ray Byrne convened a task force of detectives and tactical officers to re-examine the case.

Gene Warren admitted to authorities on Sept. 4, 2001, that he lied to protect his brother. Police arrested Billy Lee Warren shortly later.

"Glenn and Betty Schulz's lives came to an unspeakable end when Mr. Warren savagely murdered them, stabbing each of them multiple times," DuPage State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said. "It is only fitting that the man who took their lives spends the rest of his behind bars, unable to cause any further harm to society."