Grand jury indicts duo in Bartlett lawyer's murder

A down-on-his luck client of a retired lawyer was formally indicted on charges he suffocated the elderly man while burglarizing his home near Bartlett.

A DuPage County grand jury issued the indictment this week against Terry S. Bratcher, 43, of West Chicago, on charges of first-degree murder, home invasion, armed robbery and residential burglary.

A co-defendant, Keith L. Allen, 21, of Chicago, is facing similar charges. Both men are expected to plead innocent Monday when arraigned. Prosecutors have not announced yet whether they'll seek the death penalty.

On Aug. 21, police found an unresponsive Carl W. Kuhn, 82, lying face down on a bed in the second-floor of his home on the 29W400 block of Schick Road, near Bartlett.

It was Bratcher, with his mother, who called 911.

Police quickly focused in on the man, who had grown close with Kuhn through the years. Bratcher's ex-wife once worked for Kuhn. He also represented Bratcher in different legal matters, according to court records.

Prosecutors said Bratcher concocted a plan to rob Kuhn. After the victim let Bratcher into his home earlier that evening, the defendant called Allen - who is accused of lying in wait outside, armed with a gun.

Bratcher is charged with suffocating Kuhn with a cushion after the men overpowered him. Prosecutors said both men later provided videotaped conversations. Police said they recovered about 40 guns in Bratcher's garage that belonged to Kuhn.

Bratcher is being held without bond in the DuPage County jail. Allen's bond is $3 million. The grand jury indicted them Thursday, according to court records released Friday.