Jury finds woman guilty of murdering partner in Villa Park

Nicole Abusharif was convicted Tuesday of killing her longtime partner in Villa Park for what prosecutors called the "oldest motives in the book" - love and money.

A DuPage County jury found Abusharif, 28, guilty of first-degree murder after nearly 11 hours of deliberations over two days.

The panel of six men and six women declined, though, to find Abusharif acted in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner, meaning she faces 20 to 60 years in prison rather than natural life.

Abusharif did not outwardly react after learning her fate. Deputies led her off to DuPage County jail to await sentencing after Circuit Judge John Kinsella revoked her bond.

The verdict ends a hard-fought trial that included eight days of testimony from more than 30 witnesses, including Abusharif, who denied suffocating her partner, Becky Klein, late March 15, 2007.

Police investigating her disappearance discovered Klein's body two days later in the trunk of Abusharif's 1966 Ford Mustang in their garage.

A plastic garbage bag was taped around Klein's head. Her hands and feet were bound with duct tape. Forensic experts testified they found Abusharif's finger and palm prints on the duct tape and all over the garbage bag, and her DNA on a gag and blindfold.

"The physical evidence was very compelling," jury foreman Don Keplinger of Glen Ellyn said after the verdict.

Klein, 32, a college graduate who worked with disabled adults, grew up in a close-knit family in Streamwood. Her parents, Jeff and Marilyn Klein, and an older sister, Melanie, and many relatives and friends attended the trial.

"Almost 25 months ago, our family was struck by a tragedy that will continue to impact us for the rest of our lives," said Jeff Klein, who thanked prosecutors for their compassion and diligence. "Although we are not happy to be here in this position today, we are relieved that this part of the process has concluded. Becky will continue to be part of our lives and her memory will flourish in our hearts and souls."

Prosecutors Tim Diamond and Joseph Ruggiero argued forensic evidence, motive, the timeline, phone records and the defendant's own words were proof of her overwhelming guilt. They said Abusharif killed Klein to pursue a romantic relationship with another woman, Rose Sodaro, whom she met one year earlier online, and also to collect $400,000 in insurance money. Prosecutors noted Abusharif profited in eight earlier insurance claims ranging from auto accidents to workers' compensation.

"It's the two oldest motives in the book," Diamond said. "She's guilty as sin."

Defense attorneys Bob Parchem and Dennis Sopata countered it would have been physically impossible for Abusharif, who had no bruises or other visible marks, to overpower Klein and load her body into a trunk. They attacked the police investigation, questioned the timeline and said it wasn't surprising Abusharif's fingerprints were found, as the couple had been repacking Christmas decorations.

Hours after the murder, Sodaro stayed with Abusharif in the Villa Park house after the two bowled together. Sodaro, 22, testified Abusharif gave her a key to the Mustang that night as a present.

Abusharif denied killing Klein. The defendant said the two had an eight-year loving relationship, but that the couple had an understanding about dating other people. Abusharif admitted repeatedly lying to police about the fact she spent that night with Sodaro because she didn't want to expose intimate details about her sex life.

The defendant's truthfulness was crucial in the trial. To attack her credibility, prosecutors presented her online conversations, which Abusharif later described as a "fantasy game" in which she made up several lies, including one about being a hero New York firefighter during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She even doctored newspaper articles as proof.

"Given her complete absence of remorse, deceit and flagrant perjury, we will be seeking a lengthy prison term," DuPage State's Attorney Joe Birkett said.

The defendant's father, Mazen Abusharif, declined to comment after the verdict. Late Monday, while pacing the courthouse hallways during deliberations, he said simply: "She's my daughter. I love her."

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