2003 Joliet slaying to be featured on Investigation Discovery

JOLIET – The 2003 slaying of a Joliet father of 12 will be the subject of an upcoming episode of a cable TV show.

Felipe Ulloa's murder will be featured Monday on "The Real Story With Maria Elena Salinas." The episode premieres at 9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.

Ulloa was a laborer who at times worked three jobs so that his wife, Eloisa, could stay home with their children. He'd moved to the U.S. from Mexico in 1980. He also enjoyed working with horses.

On Sept. 10, 2003, Ulloa, 62, went to what was then Los Dos Compadres Bar in the 1200 block of Richards Street to collect $75 he was owed for a bridle he had bought in Mexico. Later that night, his body was discovered in his burning van near Jackson Street and Stevens Avenue.

"Closing homicide cases in immigrant communities is notoriously difficult," a news release for the episode read. "In this case, tracking down Felipe's killer falls to Will County sheriff's detectives, but in the end, authorities rely on the hard work and persistence of the Ulloa family to finally get their man."

The suspect was identified as a bartender from Los Dos Compadres who used several aliases. Ulloa's family made trips to Mexico, where they put up their wanted posters for information on the killer.

The episode includes interviews with Ulloa's widow and children as well as former Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas and former Joliet City Council member Alex Ledesma.