No verdict yet in Joliet Outlaw murder case

A jury ended its first day of deliberations on Friday without reaching a verdict on whether a Coal City man is guilty of killing a woman at the Joliet Outlaws’ clubhouse in 2017 and covering up her death.

The jury left the courtroom about 12:30 p.m. Friday and was dismissed later that afternoon. Jurors will return Monday to decide whether Jeremy Boshears, 36, is guilty of fatally shooting Katie Kearns, 24, at the Outlaws’ clubhouse in Joliet Township, and concealing her death.

In closing arguments, Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Steven Platek said Boshears’ actions in the wake of Kearns’ death were not of someone who saw a suicide but who committed murder.

“If she killed herself, why is he getting rid of the evidence?” Platek asked.

Boshears’ attorney Chuck Bretz said his client was acting under orders of the other Joliet Outlaws in concealing Kearns’ death. He said Jimmy McCoy, the Joliet Outlaws’ leader, threatened Boshears and his family.

Bretz said Boshears did lie to the police about Kearns’ death and obstructed justice, but he was not charged with the offenses for doing so. Bretz said evidence in the case did not support the charges that Boshears killed Kearns.

“They’re inviting you to speculate. … They simply don’t have any evidence,” Bretz said.

Bretz said the investigation of Kearns’ death by the Will County Sheriff’s Office was flawed, incomplete and had “gaping holes.” He said none of the forensic evidence could tie Boshears to the crime.

The only apparent eyewitness who testified about Kearns’ death has been Boshears himself.

During trial, prosecutors presented only circumstantial evidence of what they claimed proved Boshears is Kearns’ killer.

Boshears claimed he saw Kearns shoot herself following a dispute over whether she could attend a 21-gun salute ceremony for his late uncle.

Boshears testified about reluctantly participating in the cover up of Kearns’ death, which included lying to the police and Kearns’ family about the truth of what happened to her.

Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Tom Bahar played a video clip of Boshears’ interview with police where he lied about walking Kearns to her car and watching her head toward New Lenox. He also showed a text Boshears sent to Kearns’ phone saying he hoped she was okay even though he knew she was dead.

Boshears admitted to driving the Jeep carrying Kearns’ lifeless body roughly 50 miles away from the scene of her death to the St. Anne home of another Outlaw. Jurors viewed photos of Kearns’ body wrapped in a tarp and mattress and stuffed inside the Jeep.

Prosecutors told of hundreds of texts Boshears sent Kearns in their short relationship. In one text, Boshears told Kearns, “There is no man out there that will go as far as me,” and, “I (expletive) got you for life.”

Bretz said while Boshears’ communications with Kearns may have been over the top, their relationship was reciprocal.

“This wasn’t a one way thing,” Bretz said.

Bretz said Kearns’ death was “extremely tragic.” He contended Kearns’ self-inflicted gunshot was not planned but an impulsive act.

Bretz portrayed Kearns as an impulsive, reckless person who lied to her doctors about her drug abuse and had a history of mood disorders, based on her medical records he presented in the trial. He said Kearns’ life was in a “downward spiral” when she met Boshears.

“No wonder Jeremy seemed like a prince to her,” Bretz said.

Bretz said evidence in the case indicated Kearns wanted to have a child with Boshears. When Boshears rejected Kearns request to attend a 21-gun salute with his family, her “fairytale” had “completely unraveled,” Bretz said.

Platek said Boshears called Kearns a “side (expletive)” in his interview with police and that he was the one who had wrapped her dead body in a tarp and mattress.

“That’s a prince?” Platek said.

Platek questioned why Kearns would’ve been upset about the 21-gun salute when she was working several jobs and Boshears told police that she “had her (expletive) together.”

Boshears claimed he never touched Kearns’ body and it was fellow Outlaws Colby O’Neal and Corey Espeland who had done so. O’Neal implicated Boshears and Espeland as the ones who moved Kearns’ body in his testimony.

Bretz repeatedly branded O’Neal as a liar who only wanted to minimize his involvement in the coverup of Kearns’ death.

Bretz said O’Neal provided four different statements about what occurred, each time adding more details, and was only concerned about his immunity deal. Bahar said O’Neal had no incentive to lie because he was given immunity.