Child’s taped statement allowed in Joliet murder trial

A Will County judge will allow prosecutors to present the videotaped statement of a 3-year-old child in the trial of a man accused of killing the girl’s mother.

Eric K. Glover is charged with shooting Velma Franklin in the head in her Joliet home in 2002.

The woman’s daughter was lying next to her in bed at the time.

The (Joliet) Herald-News reports (http://bit.ly/13tAx73 ) that a month later she spoke on videotape with a child advocacy center counselor. In the video she describes the killing and the man she says carried it out.

Defense attorneys wanted to bar it, saying no hearing was held at the time on whether the child was competent to testify.

Glover’s attorney has said he was not at the house the night of the killing.

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Information from: The Herald-News, http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews