Matthew Edwards Shot Two People, Killing One, in 2009 Channahon Home Invasion

January 26, 2023 JOLIET—Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow today announced that Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak denied a motion to reconsider by Matthew Edwards, 30, of Joliet, who was resentenced on October 24, 2022, to 90 years in prison. On July 7, 2009, Edwards shot Joshua Terdic in the head during a home invasion at Terdic’s Channahon apartment. Terdic died 10 days later. A female victim, Lauren Vasilakis, also was shot in the head but survived. Following a bench trial, Edwards was found guilty of murder and attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shootings.

Edwards originally was sentenced in 2013 to 50 years on the murder count and a consecutive 40 years for attempt murder. The sentence was vacated by the Third District Appellate Court and the case remanded because of an intervening Illinois Supreme Court decision requiring courts to consider a juvenile’s youth and the attendant circumstances in imposing any sentence over 40 years — considered to be a life sentence under the revised juvenile sentencing statute. Edwards was 17 at the time the crimes were committed. Edwards was again sentenced by Judge Bertani-Tomczak to 50 years for murder and a consecutive 40 years for attempt murder in October following a consideration of these factors, and today she denied his motion to reconsider that decision.

Three other defendants also were convicted and sentenced in connection with the murder and home invasion. Jason Orasco, 29, of Channahon, was sentenced to 75 years in prison, and Ashley Hill, 21, of Joliet, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Hill pleaded guilty to home invasion and testified against a fourth defendant, Mary Vetor, 27, of Joliet, who hatched the plan to steal money and drugs from Terdic. Vetor drove Edwards and Orasco to Terdic’s apartment and supplied the weapons — a gun and a baseball bat. Vetor was sentenced to 61 years in prison.

Glasgow commended Assistant State’s Attorneys Christine Vukmir and Michael Fitzgerald for their hard work on the resentencing of this case.