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Ex-boyfriend denied bail in Woodridge woman's slaying

About a week after their relationship ended, Adam Belmont scaled his ex-girlfriend's apartment building and fatally stabbed her with a knife engraved with a commemoration of their anniversary, prosecutors said Monday.

DuPage County Judge Alex McGimpsey denied bail for the 23-year-old tow truck driver, who is accused of killing Alyssa VanMeter, 25, inside her Forest Drive apartment in Woodridge late Saturday.

The killing happened roughly a week after VanMeter and Belmont broke off a long-standing relationship, Assistant State's Attorney Tim Diamond said. He said the victim sent a text message to her new boyfriend around 9:30 p.m. Saturday saying “Adam just broke into my apartment.”

Woodridge police arrested Belmont at his mother's Northlake home after the victim's brother, who lived with her, arrived home and found her body about 11:30 p.m. Belmont confessed he climbed support beams outside the victim's second-story apartment and then leaned from a balcony to cut a window screen and gain access to her bedroom, Diamond said.

Once inside, Belmont argued with the victim about rekindling their relationship before choking her for 10 to 15 minutes when she rejected his proposal, prosecutors said. When she regained consciousness, he stabbed her once in the chest and then sexually assaulted her body, according to the charges.

Belmont killed VanMeter with a pocket knife engraved with their names and anniversary date, Diamond said. He said Belmont, who previously lived with VanMeter, had visited her apartment the night before and left the weapon behind.

“He plunged it once into Alyssa's heart, killing her,” Diamond said.

Belmont initially denied any involvement but eventually gave a videotaped confession, Diamond said. The suspect also led investigators to the murder weapon — along with a set of keys to the victim's apartment — stashed in the rafters of his mother's garage, according to prosecutors.

McGimpsey cited corroborating evidence including a text message, the murder weapon and incriminating statements made by Belmont in holding him without bail.

Belmont was charged with murder, home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault and could face natural life in prison if convicted. He appeared in court wearing a yellow jail uniform indicating he is considered a high-risk inmate. He didn't speak during the bond hearing but rocked back and forth at times, looking downward as prosecutors outlined the charges.

State's Attorney Bob Berlin called the case “very disturbing” and credited Woodridge police for “outstanding” work identifying and apprehending the suspect. “On average, more than three women are murdered every day in the United States by an intimate partner,” Berlin said. “The allegations against Mr. Belmont are very disturbing in that he allegedly took the life of his former girlfriend because she began dating someone new and was moving on with her life.”

At no time was public safety at risk, Woodridge Police Chief Ken Boehm added.

“We knew early in the investigation that this was an isolated incident, which led us to the victim's ex-boyfriend,” he said.

Belmont appears to have no prior criminal record in DuPage, according to court records. He is scheduled to appear Dec. 31 before Judge George Bakalis.

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