Trial date set for Elk Grove Village man charged in death of mother

The defense attorney for an Elk Grove Village man charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mother indicated he will not mount an insanity defense when the trial begins in a Rolling Meadows courtroom a little more than two months from now.

Jonathan Wood, 42, has been examined several times by psychiatrists to determine whether he is fit to stand trial for the October 2008 death of Marilyn Wood, 70, in her Elk Grove Village home. Last year, psychiatrists found him fit to stand trial provided he takes medication.

Cook County Judge Bridget Hughes set Wood’s bench trial for Dec. 8. Prosecutor Steve Rosenblum and Cook County Assistant Public Defender Jim Mullenix indicated the trial may last several days.

Relatives have repeatedly asked themselves, “What would Marilyn want for Jonathan?” said Marilyn’s sister Ramona Pekarek.

As a Christian woman, she would not have wanted prosecutors to seek the death penalty, said Pekarek via email. Family members were glad when prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty for Jonathan. However, Marilyn Wood recognized that “she was personally unable to help Jonathan, that he would have to get more professional help,” Pekarek said.

“She tried to direct him to mental health care, but he had refused to cooperate,” Pekarek said.

Wood lived with his mother until a month before her death, when she took out an order of protection against him, records show. Marilyn Wood’s co-workers at Healthcare Resources in Schaumburg called police to check on her on Oct. 30, 2008, after the normally punctual woman failed to show up for work. Police noticed nothing unusual at the home. They returned the next day after Marilyn Wood’s boss received a fax telling him she’d be out of town for a few days. During their return visit, officers found Marilyn Wood’s body bound and gagged in the basement.

Police traced the fax number to an Arlington Heights insurance company where employees stated a man came in off the street and asked to use the fax machine. The employees gave police a description of a car, which matched a car authorities say Wood was driving. Police spotted him driving near the crime scene later that day and tried to stop him. They said Wood fled, sparking a high-speed chase that ended with Wood being taken into custody in Glencoe.

Authorities say Wood’s criminal history dates back to 2002 and includes convictions for resisting arrest, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and violation of an order of protection. He remains in Cook County jail on $3 million bail.