December 18

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced that a jury has found an Elwood man guilty of first-degree murder for killing an 18-month-old girl.

Lee Ponshe, 29, of 503 Beattie St., faces mandatory life in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Daniel Rozak on February 25. The jury deliberated for 2-1/2 hours before arriving at a guilty verdict at the conclusion of a seven-day trial.

Evidence presented at trial showed that the victim suffered 20 bruises on the top of her head. She also had three bruises on her forehead, one on her cheek and five bruises along her back. The little girl was the daughter of Ponshe’s fiance.

Ponshe began beating the little girl in the early morning hours of April 15 because she was crying and would not sleep.  On the following day, the defendant put the victim down for a nap at around 5 p.m. The little girl, however, slipped into a coma and died as a result of her injuries.

“Lee Ponshe commited an act of monstrous violence against an innocent child who was under his care and protection,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This heartless abuser can spend the rest of his life in a dark prison cell contemplating his horrific crime.”

Assistant State’s Attorneys Jim Long, Chris Regis and Adam Capelli presented evidence and testimony at trial that included statements Ponshe made to detectives and to his father in which he admitted striking the little girl. They also called to the stand a forensic pathologist who specializes in brain trauma to children. She testified that the victim’s injuries were consistent with having been abused.

The state’s attorney credited his prosecutors with securing this conviction, and he thanked Will County Sheriff’s Department detectives for their thorough investigation.

December 13

Joliet, Ill.  Chicagoland Speedway’s 501c3 foundation, R.A.C.E., awarded $25,000 in grants to five Chicago-area charities at a luncheon on Thursday, raising its total charitable gifts for 2012 to $70,370. 

“When we launched R.A.C.E. seven months ago, we knew it had the ability to benefit those in the community and we are seeing that come to fruition,” said Scott Paddock, president of Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway. “What we accomplished in our first year exceeded our expectations, but we are committed to growing our charitable arm to new heights in 2013. This process has given us a wonderful opportunity to see how many remarkable local projects are in need of support and we are ready to step up and assist in filling that void going forward.” 

The Bridge Teen Center, Greater Joliet YMCA, George Werden Buck Boys and Girls Club, Nathan C. Splant Foundation and Will County Children’s Advocacy Center were selected and recognized for their notable contributions to the community and were awarded cash donations through the R.A.C.E. grant process. 

• The Bridge Teen Center received a $5,000 donation for their after school programs. 
• R.A.C.E. provided Joliet’s Central City YMCA, part of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, with $5,000 to support Project SOAR and Central City YMCA’s youth basketball and cheerleading leagues. 
  
• George Werden Buck Boys & Girls Club received a donation of $6,500 to assist with their Memorable Male Mentors program with aims to counteract the gang recruitment of young males in the Joliet community. 
  
• In addition, the Nathan C. Splant Foundation received a $2,000 for the Halo Project which provides HALO SleepSacks for babies in the NICU of Munster Community Hospital. 
  
• The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center received a donation of $6,500 to aid the Forensic Child Interview Program. [emphasis added]

In addition to the $25,000 in grants, the Speedway also awarded another $45,000 through scholarships, silent auctions, partnerships and raffles. 

As an Advisory Committee member, Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante was on-site for the presentation.

“Joliet and Will County are home to some of the most incredible charities and programs in the state of Illinois and it is great to see them receiving the support they deserve,” said Giarrante. “Chicagoland Speedway is committed to changing our community for the better and as a R.A.C.E. Advisory Committee member I am excited to be a part of that process going forward.”

With a focus on youth, safe driving and the military, R.A.C.E. raised funds over the course of the year through community events, raffles and auctions. The three principles guided the seven-member R.A.C.E. Advisory Committee, which was responsible for evaluating grant applications throughout the year.

December 4

JOLIET – The Witches Night Out committee has presented Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow with a $7,500 donation to benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center.

The Children’s Advocacy Center was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the Third Annual Witches Night Out fundraiser, which was held Oct. 25 at the Joliet Renaissance Center. 

State’s Attorney Glasgow, who founded the Children’s Advocacy Center and chairs its board of directors, accepted the donation from Witches Night Out committee co-chairs Kathy Mihelich and Judy Erwin.

“Thank you to the Witches Night Out committee for selecting the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as a beneficiary of its annual fundraiser,” Glasgow said. “This year’s event was a tremendous success. Everyone who attended had a great time and they raised a lot of money for local worthy causes. The donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center will help us continue our important mission of protecting children.”

At Witches Night Out, women dress as witches for a fun night on the town. The event’s proceeds fund United Way agencies that serve women and children in need. This year’s committee selected the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center for its dedication to helping children and families hurt by child abuse. Lamb’s Fold Center for Women and Children and Stepping Stones Treatment and Recovery Center also were selected as beneficiaries of this year’s event.

The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization.  Founded by Glasgow in 1995, its professionally trained staff interviews children who are the victims of sexual or severe physical abuse in a non-threatening, non-suggestive setting.  The children’s recorded statements have been used to successfully prosecute literally hundreds of predators over the past 17 years.

For more information about the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, call (815) 774-4565.

November 21

Christopher Vaughn Sentencing Monday, November 26 

The sentencing hearing for Christopher Vaughn is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday, November 26 in Courtroom 406 of the Will County Courthouse, 14 W. Jefferson St., Joliet. It is possible Judge Rozak will handle his Monday morning call before beginning the sentencing hearing. However, it would be wise to plan on arriving at 9:30 a.m.

The family members of Kimberly, Abigayle, Cassandra and Blake Vaughn will be available after sentencing to make a statement and answer questions from the press. The Joliet Police Department graciously will allow the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office to use its conference/training room at its main station one block west of the courthouse for the family news conference. 

The Joliet Police Department is located at 150 W. Washington Street in downtown Joliet.     

November 15

CHICAGO – Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow filed an agreed order today that requires ExxonMobil Oil Corp. to investigate the cause of the burst of oil mist at the company’s refinery in Channahon Township on Oct. 19, and take specific actions to ensure it does not occur again.

Among other items, the agreed order requires ExxonMobil to:

• Complete an investigation within 14 days to determine the root cause of the release and submit recommendations to Madigan’s and Glasgow’s office for implementing corrective and preventive measures based on the investigation; 
• Submit a detailed corrective work schedule for necessary improvements;
• Report all chemicals and pollutants released during the incident and the quantities of each;
• Provide the results of water samples and sediment samples taken from Jackson Creek;
• Submit a report on ExxonMobil’s cleanup of off-site properties impacted by the incident;
• Identify all residents, landowners and local government agencies it communicated with following the release;
• Provide a detailed explanation of the procedures used to re-start the coker unit following the Oct. 19 release.  

The agreed order also requires ExxonMobil to pay up to $50,000 to Madigan’s office and the Illinois EPA for their costs associated with response and oversight costs associated with the incident and $20,000 to reimburse Will County for its emergency action related to the release.

In a four-count complaint filed on Oct. 31 in Will County Circuit Court, Madigan and Glasgow alleged the oil release occurred as a result of procedural failures at the refinery’s coker unit, sending the oil mixture into the air. The oil mixture fell onto homes and farms within a four-mile radius of the refinery, which is located at I-55 and Arsenal Road. The incident prompted authorities to shut down Arsenal Road because of the slippery conditions created by the oil mixture settling on the roadway. Oil residue was also detected in nearby Jackson Creek and along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

The court has set a status hearing in this case for Feb. 19, 2013.

Supervising Attorney Rebecca Burlingham and Assistant Attorney General Robert Petti are handling the case for Madigan’s Environmental Enforcement Bureau.