Man convicted of killing teen during 2011 burglary

A guilty verdict was returned Monday against a parolee accused in the stabbing death of a West suburban girl during a 2011 burglary of her home.

The jury deliberated for about two hours before convicting John Wilson Jr. in the death of 14-year-old Kelli O'Laughlin. The teenager was killed in her Indian Head Park home when she interrupted Wilson burglarizing the residence, according to prosecutors. Wilson also allegedly later taunted the victim's mother from the girl's stolen cellphone.

During closing arguments, Assistant State's Attorney Andreana Turano revisited the evidence in prosecution's case, including cellphone records that tracked Wilson and Kelli's phones and DNA evidence from a knit hat found at the murder scene. She also noted gold coins taken from the O'Laughlin home were traced to Wilson.

Defense attorney John Paul Carroll sprinkled nearly two hours of his closing arguments with accusations Wilson was charged because of his race.

After Cook County Circuit Judge John Hynes told Carroll to move on, the attorney said Wilson "is just convenient because he's black, homeless and a bit odd."