Delayed extradition worries slain Addison man's family

After nearly three decades on the lam, a man charged with a 1981 road-rage murder in Addison was captured earlier this year in Mexico.

That was more than seven months ago. As Jesus Rodriguez continues to fight extradition back to Illinois, the slain man's family fears he may elude authorities again.

"The more time it lags on, the more we lose faith that this will ever come to an end," said Michael Spoors of his older brother's murder. "I thought we finally would get this behind us and move on."

Rodriguez, 50, was arrested Jan. 8 in Santa Gertrudis, Zacatecas, Mexico, on a long-outstanding warrant alleging he killed John Spoors on Aug. 26, 1981.

Spoors was the oldest of six in a close-knit Irish-Italian Catholic family. The popular 23-year-old carpenter grew up in Addison, wrestled for Addison Trail High School and was engaged to be married.

He was gunned down in the parking lot of a local pancake house at 607 W. Lake St., where he met his boss each morning before work.

The shooting followed a traffic dispute minutes earlier in which police said Rodriguez, then 23, followed Spoors into the parking lot and opened fire.

Detectives said they were led to the defendant after interviewing witnesses. Police found his Grand Prix within an hour, but they soon had reason to believe he fled the country.

They obtained an arrest warrant early on, but the trail quickly went cold.

The years passed. Every once in a while, detectives worked a new lead, a possible sighting that didn't pan out. Still, they didn't forget about John Spoors, whose father the family said went to his grave brokenhearted without getting justice for his son.

Police said they developed new information in February 2006 about Rodriguez's whereabouts in Mexico, where he had been arrested on drunk and disorderly conduct charges. They began working with the FBI and Mexican officials for his capture and return to Illinois.

But the defendant, who also uses the last name Villarreal, fought extradition.

Prosecutors said his involuntary extradition was granted last month, but Rodriguez is appealing that ruling. The process is expected to take an estimated three to five more months.

DuPage State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said he is confident the defendant will be returned to Illinois to face prosecution. He said his prosecutors are in contact with Mexican officials to ensure that happens.

Members of Spoors' family initially were elated by news of the arrest.

A crowd of about 100 friends and family, including the slain man's 70-year-old mother Eleanor, some coming from as far away as Florida and Kentucky, gathered April 8 in an Addison church to remember Spoors on what would have marked his 50th birthday.

But Michael Spoors said the most-recent delay is frustrating.

"My mom keeps hanging on to the day she sees justice get served."