Morris man gets 45 years for uncle's 2009 New Lenox Township murder

JOLIET – A Morris man who pleaded guilty to murdering his uncle was sentenced Thursday to 45 years in prison.

“I am not a violent person. I have always been against violence and it just seems like I can never escape it,” Jason M. Gonzalez, 29, told Judge Edward Burmila and a courtroom audience full of relatives. “Nothing will justify me shooting my own uncle. Yes, I get it.

“I did a lot of bad stuff during my lifetime. I am not a good person.”

Gonzalez said he shot Lance Goebel when Goebel threw a phone at Gonzalez during a confrontation Sept. 17, 2009, in Goebel’s house in the 22700 block of South Cedar Road in New Lenox Township.

Gonzalez broke into the home to confront Goebel, who’d evicted him for becoming “inappropriately fixated” on children in the family, according to trial testimony.

In June, Gonzalez represented himself during a trial that lasted eight days before he decided to plead guilty. He faced up to 60 years in prison.

“I lost my father ... and Jason, who stayed with us for years and I thought of as a brother,” Lance Ryan Goebel told Burmila. “He left my father dead in a pool of his own blood for his family to find.”

Lance Ryan Goebel said after seeing his father’s body he went outside with his sister and realized his cousin was responsible.

Gonzalez on Thursday presented reports and statements indicating he was physically abused throughout his childhood.

He told Burmila he is less scared to go to prison than to face his uncle’s family.

"I have no excuses. I have no justifications. To all of you, I'm sorry," Gonzalez said.

Burmila said his own observations made during court proceedings contradict Gonzalez’s statements.

"Mr. Gonzalez said he's not making any excuses, then [he] offers excuses," Burmila said. "The defendant cross-examined his mother for three or four days [with] every intention to humiliate his mother. ... It's not lost on me that the defendant after hearing most of the state's case chose to plead guilty."