Lombard man found guilty of attacking pregnant girlfriend

It took a DuPage County jury about two hours Wednesday evening to find a 31-year-old Lombard man guilty of a variety of felonies in connection with the Valentine's Day attack on his pregnant girlfriend.

The jury of seven men and five women handed down guilty verdicts for 15 charges Ronald Bosley was facing and just one not guilty verdict for unlawful restraint. He was convicted of aggravated battery, residential burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm among others. But the most serious conviction is for home invasion, and because it was committed with a firearm the incarceration guidelines are increased by 15 years, said Bosley's attorney Assistant Public Defender Jeff York. The sentencing range for the home invasion with a firearm is a minimum of 21 years and a maximum of 45, he said.

A preliminary sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.

The conviction comes despite Bosley's victim essentially denying any recollection of the attack or appearing before a grand jury in March where she chronicled the events of that night. She told jurors she barely had any memory of writing a three-page account of the attack the night it happened.

Prosecutors Audriana Anderson and Michael Fisher told jurors during closing arguments that Turkessa Peters was trying to protect the father of her 2-month-old son from prison by "playing the I-don't-remember game."

"In her mind she's protecting him," Anderson said. "Turkessa didn't forget."

York took a different tact with Peters' testimony. He argued she was getting her boyfriend in trouble for ruining her Valentine's Day by getting drunk and accusing her of cheating.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," York said. "He treated her bad on Valentine's Day. That's sad for her, but it's not illegal."

Fisher told jurors that Peters wasn't Bosley's only victim that night.

"Some couples celebrate Valentine's Day in different ways," he said. "The defendant celebrates Valentine's Day by smashing in his girlfriend's front door and putting a gun to her head while her 4-year-old daughter watched."

Bosley also disconnected the phones in the apartment while he conducted a fruitless search for another man. He eventually allowed Peters to call her parents who then called police, then he fled the apartment on foot.

Police officers who testified Wednesday described Peters as scared and upset the night of the attack, not angry and vengeful.

Bosley was caught after a brief foot chase near Peters' apartment shortly after they were called around 7 p.m. A handgun was located near the start of the chase. Detective Gary Klunk said Bosley denied he had a gun at first.

"But then 10 minutes later he said he'd tell us everything if he was provided with a cigarette," Klunk said.

Klunk and officer Eric Grouty took Bosley outside the station to smoke the cigarette and Bosley told them how he arrived at the apartment to talk about their relationship, but was told to leave because Peters spotted the handgun in his waistband. He denied kicking in the door or holding the gun to her temple.