Joliet man sentenced to prison for concealing woman’s death in Crest Hill

A Joliet man has pleaded guilty to concealing the death of a woman in Crest Hill, and he was sentenced to serve 50% of an estimated six-year prison sentence for that offense.

On March 26, Kelvanti Lawrence, 31, pleaded guilty to concealment of a death and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon as part of a plea deal.

After Jeanie Bresley, 44, overdosed on drugs and died, Lawrence had moved her body to a different location Sept. 17, 2023, prosecutors said.

Officers went to Lawrence’s hotel room and found that he had a gun even though he has a felony conviction, prosecutors said.

Lawrence was sentenced to serve six years and six months in prison for concealment of a death, according to the sentencing order from Will County Judge Amy Christiansen.

Lawrence must serve at least 50% of that sentence.

Lawrence was sentenced to serve eight years for the offense of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He also must serve 50% of that sentence.

Lawrence will serve his sentence for both offenses at the same time.

Lawrence will not serve all of that time, however, because he also was credited with 554 days served in the Will County jail, according to Christiansen’s sentencing order.

Lawrence was further credited with 60 days for participating in pretrial programs at the facility.

As a result, Lawrence is expected to be paroled from prison July 20, 2027, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Prosecutors had filed a petition in 2023 that detailed the investigation that led to Lawrence’s arrest.

About 8:40 a.m. Sept. 17, 2023, officers responded to Gustos Bar and Grill in Crest Hill for a welfare check after a report of someone possibly sleeping inside a vehicle, prosecutors said.

Officers found the vehicle in the back parking lot of Gustos with the doors closed but not locked, and with the hazard lights on, prosecutors said.

Bresley was found inside the vehicle.

A family member of Bresley contacted police and indicated that Bresley consumed cocaine and other drugs on occasion and has a friend with a name similar in spelling to Lawrence’s name, prosecutors said.

Officers learned that Lawrence and Bresley had been staying at the Crest Hill Inn.

The police investigation showed that Lawrence moved Bresley from his hotel room to her vehicle and then drove the vehicle to Gusto’s, where he left Bresley and the vehicle, prosecutors said.

During a police interview, Lawrence claimed that Bresley was drunk and alive when he was moving her inside the vehicle, prosecutors said.

Lawrence told police that Bresley died, but he blamed a second man for coming up with the plan to move her body to the vehicle, prosecutors said.