Bostic trial witnesses deny police accounts of stories

Police said earlier this year their big break in the Carlton Richmond murder case came when witnesses to the shooting identified Robert Bostic as the prime suspect.

Those witnesses testified Wednesday that they had no idea what the cops were talking about.

Bostic, 71, is on trial for Richmond’s murder, which police said happened June 25, 1982 after Richmond would not pay off a drinking bet he made with Bostic.

Bostic was charged after Round Lake Beach police said two witnesses told them they were inside the garage-turned-biker-bar where Richmond died and heard Richmond accuse Bostic of shooting him.

Those witnesses, John Winandy and Jeff Paradise, both of Chicago, testified Wednesday they were outside the garage when the shooting happened and never told any police officer they saw or heard anything.

Winandy and Paradise, who were members of the Wheelman motorcycle club Bostic also belonged to, acknowledged they were questioned by Round Lake Beach Det. Gary Lunn late last year.

Lunn claimed both men said they were near the bar where Bostic and Richmond were drinking, turned toward the bar in reaction to a loud noise, saw Bostic standing immediately in front of Richmond and heard Richmond say “You shot me.”

But on Wednesday, both men denied all the statements attributed to them in Lunn’s reports, and Lunn admitted during his testimony he did not have handwritten statements from either man to support the claims in his reports on the interviews.

Assistant State’s Attorney Ken LaRue tried to demonstrate for the nine women and three men on the jury a reason for the conflicting versions through a series of tape-recorded phone calls Bostic made from the Lake County jail.

In a series of five calls between March and May, Bostic appears to be urging members of his family to contact witnesses in the case and convince them not to testify against him.

In one call, recorded May 5, Bostic is heard telling his wife, Mary Bostic, to have their son contact a man named Clifford who Bostic believes the police are trying to locate.

“Have two bullies go out and this and that and the other, but he didn’t know nothing about it, you know?” Bostic says on the tape.

“Yeah, well, he don’t,” his wife replies.

“Well, he does, but say he don’t; you know, whatever,” Bostic answers.

Bostic’s attorneys Joseph and Michael Salvi rested their case without calling any witnesses in their client’s defense, and Bostic declined to testify.

Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected Thursday.

If convicted, Bostic faces up to 60 years in prison.