Hanson denies killings

Eric C. Hanson admits he is a habitual liar and a thief, but he denies being a killer.

The 31-year-old Naperville man testified for five hours Friday in front of a DuPage County jury that is expected next week to decide his fate in the death penalty trial.

He is charged with murdering his parents, sister and brother-in-law in late September 2005 out of greed after an elaborate credit card scam in his parents' names began to unravel.

Hanson remained calm, even during prosecutor Robert Berlin's heated three-hour cross examination. The large courtroom was packed, including with several relatives who support the prosecution. His lone living sister, Jennifer Williams, listened while wiping away tears.

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Hanson said he was sleeping downstairs when his parents, Terry and Mary, were shot in their Naperville home, where he also lived. Hanson said he did not hear a disturbance, even when the killer fired three shots and cleaned the crime scene, including moving a bloody mattress and drilling the headboard to hide damage.

"You slept really sound that night, right?" Berlin asked sarcastically.

"No more than any other night," Hanson said coolly.

His parents' bodies were then transported to the Aurora home of their daughter, Kate, who earlier was bludgeoned along with her husband, Jimmy Tsao. Their four bodies were discovered the next afternoon, Sept. 29, 2005.

Police arrested Hanson one day later after he returned from a one-day trip in Los Angeles to visit his ex-fiancee. Officers found Kate's $24,000 wedding ring and Jimmy's Rolex watch in his sport-utility vehicle.

Hanson explained he simply was returning the jewelry, but didn't get a chance before his trip. He couldn't explain another piece of evidence crucial to the prosecution.

Hanson told jurors he had no idea how a rubber glove with his father's blood ended up in a zipped plastic bag, along with three other gloves, in his SUV. His explanation didn't sit well with Berlin.

"Are you telling me you don't know how these gloves got in your car?" the prosecutor asked sternly.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," Hanson responded.

Most of his testimony focused on his more than $80,000 credit card fraud. Hanson admitted stealing, but said he and his parents worked it out. He continued the thefts, though, even after he promised to pay it back. For example, he obtained $16,800 in his father's name one day before the grisly discovery.

"I had the best intentions," he said. "I just didn't follow through."

Hanson said the thefts began modestly in 2004 and he always made at least the minimum payments on time, but it spiraled out of control and became a shell game in which he stole from one account to pay another. He had more than a half dozen fraudulent credit cards.

"There were a few things I wanted to buy and didn't have the money," he said. "I figured if I charged it; paid it off, it'd be no big deal."

"It just seemed like free money. It was easy."

Police developed Hanson as a suspect within an hour. Williams, who lives in Minnesota, identified her brother after telling police he earlier threatened to kill Kate --which Hanson denied.

His testimony came near the start of the defense's case.

DuPage Public Defender Robert Miller and Elizabeth Reed, a senior assistant defender, noted prosecutors lack a confession, eyewitnesses and murder weapons.

Despite two bloody crime scenes, none of Hanson's prints, hairs, saliva or blood were recovered. Seven partial bloody shoeprints were found -- but none were traced to Eric Hanson. A partial fingertip print on the plastic bag couldn't be traced to him, either.

The prosecution team --Berlin, Michael Wolfe and Nancy Wolfe -- rested its case Friday with more than 50 witnesses and 400 pieces of physical evidence.

Prosecutors argue the financial motive, timeline, other evidence such as the bloody glove and Hanson's multiple lies are overwhelming proof.

The trial before DuPage Circuit Judge Robert Anderson continues next week.