Elk Grove man convicted in obstruction case

A DuPage County jury deliberated about four hours Thursday before convicting Robert L. Edwards of lying to police as they feverishly hunted a killer in Villa Park.

The 42-year-old Elk Grove Village man faces probation or up to three years in prison for obstructing justice. DuPage Circuit Judge Peter J. Dockery set sentencing for Dec. 30.

The defendant's former co-worker, Nicole Abusharif, is charged with suffocating 32-year-old Becky Klein late March 15, 2007, in their home on Harvard Avenue. The two women were lovers.

Abusharif, 28, goes on trial Jan. 12.

She is the only one charged with murder, but police also interrogated Edwards because he was inside the Villa Park home with Abusharif March 16 when they came to investigate Klein's disappearance and on March 17 when her body was found in the trunk of the couple's car.

Initially, Edwards told police he and Abusharif were just casual work friends who hadn't seen each other in three weeks before the murder. But phone records showed about 50 phone calls between the two.

In a heated March 19, 2007, videotaped interrogation, Edwards finally admitted he and Abusharif were drug buddies who shared wild sex fantasies.

Authorities always suspected Edwards knew more about the murder than he'd admit, but they never uncovered any evidence such as DNA or fingerprints to connect him to the crime. Edwards also had an ironclad alibi most of the night of the murder.

He denied any knowledge and said any perceived lie, such as when he downplayed his relationship with Abusharif, was just an innocent mistake.

The judge allowed Edwards to remain free on bond until sentencing.

In a separate case, Edwards is charged in Cook County with possession of child pornography for evidence police said they found during a forensic examination of his computer in the Klein investigation. That prosecution is pending.