Check back this week for another Joliet Patch story, focusing on Bethany McKee's job assignments in prison including her work as a certified trainer for the Helping Paws program that trains service dogs for people with disabilities. "Faith is important to Bethany's life because it helps teach her 'how to be a good citizen and a good person,'" according to her lawyer. If they have already proven that they are capable of murder, wouldnt you believe them if they told you that the will kill you also? I'm defiantly not the brightest crayon in the box, but I'm not completely . Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. If you were to sit down and have a conversation with her, you would see the person she really is, but no one cares to get to know a misunderstood individual.. And that's partly why reducing McKee's sentence for her double murder conviction has become one of the top priorities for McKee's lawyers, Rachel White-Domain and Sarah Free at the grant-funded Illinois Prison Project in Chicago. JOLIET, IL Even though Bethany McKee did not commit the "Nightmare On Hickory Street" strangulation murders of Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover, the Shorewood native is serving a life sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections. Miner said he disliked Rankins and Glover after meeting them for the first time that night, so he ordered them to leave Massaros home. "This is really twisted," McKee told Diehl and Powers on the video recording. We didnt argue at all. McKee, 20, is the first of three defendants to go on trial in the slayings of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins, both 22. That story will also examine McKee's previously undiagnosed autism that prevented her from understanding Miner and Landerman's plan to rob Glover and Rankins was for real, according to the Illinois Prison Project. McKee said she took her daughter downstairs and sat on the floor of a small room after Miner and Landerman began to attack the two men upstairs. She obviously terrified.. If you were to sit down and have a conversation with her, you would see the person she really is, but no one cares to get to know a misunderstood individual.. She has no idea whats going on.. They allegedly returned to the apartment where the bodies had been left and proceeded to kick, punch and bludgeon them. "I didn't know it was for real. Miner confessed to coming up with the robbery scheme. She squirmed out of the murder case by pleading to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides. Landerman, the son of a Joliet police officer, was found in the basement of the home, lying in the fetal position and at first he refused to respond to officers commands, according to testimony. Bethany McKee had picked up her daughter when she saw police surrounding the house and drove to Kankakee, where she was arrested. Their bodies were found with plastic bags over their heads inside a home on Hickory Street in Joliet, Ill. She is the reason he was there, said Jamille Kent, Rankins mother. Bethany McKee was arrested on murder charges in January 2013 long with her childhood friend Alisa Massaro, 20, Massaros boyfriend, Joshua Miner, 26, and a another Joliet man, Adam Landerman, 21. And everything else everybody has told me about him. In an appellate court ruling upholding Will County Judge Gerald Kinneys decision to impose a life sentence, appellate court justices in their written ruling noted McKee actively participated in planning the crime and was an instigator. They noted she lured the two men to the apartment, made the suggestion to rob Rankins, used money that was stolen from the two men to buy gas and stole various items, including baby boots, from Glovers car after he died, according to court documents. If they have already proven that they are capable of murder, wouldnt you believe them if they told you that the will kill you also? Adam Landerman, 21, is awaiting. Two other suspects arrested in the deaths have already been convicted: Bethany McKee and Alisa Massaro, both 20. Massaro, who Bill McKee, accused of being a bad influence on his daughter, made out a lot better than her longtime pal. "However, she could not recall any specific statement that Bethany made," the Illinois Prison Project lawyers argue on McKee's behalf. "Judge Kinney thought a life sentence was 'inappropriate' for Bethany, and we believe that anyone who has all of the information about Bethany's story would agree with him. I didn't want Bethany to get caught up any further into it," he says. Bill McKee was the one who called the cops on his daughter and her friends. And then I cried.That was in January. In his blog, Bill McKee said his daughter only stuck around after the murders because she feared she would be killed as well. In July, her attorneys filed a request for the Illinois Supreme Court to review the case. The officers found the dead bodies of Rankins and Glover on top of plastic garbage bags spread on the floor. As the state mandates, Judge Kinney sentenced McKee to natural life in prison. Massaro was sentenced to 10 years. August 7, 2014 / 6:58 PM 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. These days, the 28-year-old McKee continues to serve out her life prison sentence in Lincoln, Illlinois, at the Logan Correctional Center near Springfield. found guilty of killing both Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover, started serving her life sentence for the murders last week, police reports obtained exclusively by Patch, Massaro and Miner later had sex atop the corpses of their victims, copping a plea to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides, sentenced to five years in prison but will be released within four years of striking her deal, called the cops on his daughter and her friends. Before the trial began, nervous family members of the victims gathered to pray in a courtroom hallway. Attorneys for McKee have filed a petition with the Illinois. She (Alisa) is also one of the participants along with josh who had sex on top of the deceased bodies. Your email address will not be published. 3-14-0881 Decided: May 09, 2017 OPINION 1 The defendant, Bethany L. McKee, was convicted of two counts of first degree murder (720 ILCS 5/9-1 (a) (1) (West 2012)) following a bench trial and was sentenced to natural life imprisonment. "The fact is that Bethany was not in the room when these young men were tragically killed. He is awaiting trial. JOLIET, Ill. -- Bethany McKee, 20, will spend her natural life in prison after being sentenced on Tuesday for her role in the 2013 murders of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins. I love serous conversations but I still love to have silly dumb ones. Bill McKee said he went to the police when Bethany refused to tell him where she was keeping her baby daughter. Bethany McKee was sentenced Tuesday in Will County. She has just gotten away with murder, Bill McKee said in his blog. She (Alisa) is also one of the participants along with josh who had sex on top of the deceased bodies. On Thursday, co-defendant Alisa Massaro testified that "Bethany suggested calling Terrancebecause he probably had money.". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. She started. He and his friends got the idea to rip off Rankins and Glover because they were broke and wanted to buy cigarettes and alcohol, prosecutor Tricia McKenna said during Bethany McKees trial. Bill. Attorneys expect the trial to last about a week. Join Facebook to connect with Bethany Mckee and others you may know. He then stood up and turned toward the officers with a grin on his face. McKee was only 18 years old at the time of her first-degree murder arrest by Joliet police. Im holding him and finally he stops moving, and from what I heard in the trial, like I guess I was holding him like way too long, because he was still moving, Miner said. According to the Illinois Prison Project's filings, McKee finally took her little girl and left the room and went downstairs. Miner and Massaro had sex atop the dead mens bodies, police reports obtained exclusively by Patch, flaying one of the dead men and wearing his face like a mask, pleading to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides, sentenced to five years in prison but will be released within four years of striking her deal, agreeing to testify against her three friends, didnt even bother to call her for Miners, exclusive interview with Miner behind the walls of maximum security Menard Correctional Center, And the Bethany girl, I really think that she should have got a deal or something like just the robbery or conspiracy or something, Im holding him and finally he stops moving, and from what I heard in the trial, like I guess I was holding him like way too long, because he was still moving. Even after attending each day of his daughters murder trial, Bill McKee believes the real story of how two men ended up strangled to death in a house on Joliets Hickory Street remains untold. But because Massaro struck a plea deal to avoid a life sentence, the elder McKee argues her testimony is questionable. She obviously terrified.. "It would have never happened if she didn't bring him there.". https://abc7chicago.com/bethany-mckee-terrance-rankins-eric-glover-joshua-miner/380156/, Bethany McKee is currently incarcerated at the Logan Correctional Facility, Your email address will not be published. If she cant be with her mother, she needs to be with her father.Are you a true crime fan? According to prosecutors Brittany McKee led the two men to their murders. I couldn't even fathom that this was going on," McKee said. He and his family had just returned to Illinois after a brief stay in Florida, said his mother, Bernina Westbrook, and were living in Coal City. The way the law is written, I really have no authority, Judge Kinney said, citing his lack of sentencing options for McKee, whom he found guilty in August of 2014. "Westbrook still doesnt believe McKee was involved in the grisly double-slaying.I dont think she did it, he said. They are committed to regaining McKee's freedom, and trying to accomplish that goal in 2023. After Glover and Rankins were killed, Miner and Massaro had sex atop the dead mens bodies, according to police reports obtained exclusively by Patch. She was sentenced to five years in prison but will be released within four years of striking her deal. McKee said Miner and Landerman used racial epithets while beating on the bodies. Adam Landerman, a 19-year-old whose father worked as a sergeant with the Joliet Police Department, rounded out the group. Yes it is true that Bethany did not leave the scene of the crime or even call the police after she realized what had happened, but if you were wearing her shoes after she was threatened by the very people that have already committed these murders what would you have done, he said. Landerman then began choking Glover from behind, she told police. "In her statement, Bethany also describes, horrifically, that her co-defendants later hit and kicked the bodies repeatedly and discussed how to dispose of them. McKee said Massaro's on-off boyfriend Joshua Miner proposed robbing Rankins unless he brought cigarettes to Massaro's second-floor apartment. They also are appealing their convictions. Westbrook, 16, said he had no idea McKee was headed his way when she was arrested near his home. Bethany McKee and three others are accused of helping to murder Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover last year. Bethany McKee was desperate for money when she and three others concocted a detailed plan to lure two men to her Joliet home and rob them, prosecutors said Monday, the first day of McKees murder trial. Right now, they are reading the Harry Potter series. Judge Gerald Kinney was critical of the states sentencing guidelines. Bethany's father said Massaro's testimony is questionable. On Monday, her defense attorney's motion for a new trial was denied. She soon left the house, dropped her daughter. POSTAL MAIL OPTION: EMAIL FORWARDING OPTION: TYPE AND PRINT OPTION: Bethany McKee #R91596. A fourth person Alisa Massaro, 20 was also charged with murder but pleaded guilty to lesser charges in May in exchange for testifying against the other three. Both Miner, 29, and Landerman, 24, are serving life sentences for the murders. Rankinswas carrying $120, which McKee and the others divided up to pay for gas, alcohol and cigarettes, prosecutors said. Glover and Rankins refused to go, Miner said, so he swung at one of them hes still not sure which of the two men he hit and ended up strangling and a fight broke out. McKee spoke with her father to ask for help getting rid of the bodies, but William McKee notified police. JOLIET (WLS) -- Bethany McKee, 20, is one of four people charged in the gruesome 2013 murders of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins. Bill McKee confirmed he is the author of the blog, which also includes postings from Bethanys younger sister, Trisha McKee. Authorities said previously that Glover and Rankins were strangled. Bethany McKee sat calmly in the back of a Kankakee Police squad car two months ago, arrested in connection with the brutal murders of two men on Hickory Street in Joliet. Those who remained sat in a courtroom that was silent for 12 minutes and 22 seconds as prosecutor John Connor showed Amelio and Judge Gerald Kinney a video recording Amelio had made at the crime scene. "I didn't want Bethany to get caught up any further into it.". Mr. Massaro, the father of the host, was in the house that night. After getting the phone call, McKee said he immediately called police. "She has no idea what's going on.". McKees daughter, 20-year-old Bethany McKee, was found guilty of killing both Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover despite not even being in the same room when they were slain. McKee, Massaro, 23, Josh Miner, 28, and Adam Landerman, 23, were broke and wanted to buy more cigarettes and alcohol, so they hatched a scheme to kill and rob Rankins, whom McKee believed would be carrying drugs and a lot of money. In those cases, the mandatory life sentence was eventually ruled unconstitutional based on the defendants young ages, lack of criminal history and support of family, according to court documents filed last month. Glover and Rankins, both 22, were strangled to death. Joliet Zonta Club Awards Woman Of The Year, Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Cannot Stay In Office: Judges, Channahon-Minooka Area Prospective Homeowners: See 5 New Homes On The Market, Female Joliet Officer Stabbed In Stomach During Arrest. I knew Josh was crazy. His sentencing is set for later this month. Aquascape's Annual Fish and Plants Spring Sale! He also knew nothing of the murders from the night before.Westbrook did know McKee wasnt answering her phone, so he called one of her friends and found out what was going on in Joliet.She was like, I dont know how to tell you this, but Bethanys in jail for murder, he recalled.McKee was in Massaros Hickory Street home when Miner and Landerman strangled two men there, police said. "She is the reason he was there," said Jamille Kent, Rankins' mother. Aquascape's Annual Fish and Plants Spring Sale! On the night of the murders, the four were drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes but ran out and robbery became the last decision made by the group. The house where the Nightmare on Hickory Street murders happened was owned by Alisa Massaro's father. They did not stay together as a couple but still maintained a good relationship throughout their daughter'syoung life, he said.We got along, he said. The two men were found dead inside a residence on Hickory Street. An appellate court upheld McKees sentence in June. His sentencing is set for later this month. God taught me that.". A fourth suspect, Alissa Massaro, pleaded guilty to robbery and concealment of a homicidal death for which she received a 10-year prison sentence. Bethany McKee had picked up her daughter when she saw police surrounding the house and drove to Kankakee, where she was arrested. Now 28, McKee has made a remarkable turnaround of her life, according to lawyers at the Illinois Prison Project. Bill McKee confirmed he is the author of the blog, which also includes postings from Bethanys younger sister, Trisha McKee. According to the station, prosecutors portray Bethany as the mastermind in a robbery plan that escalated into the double murder. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Bill McKee was the one who called the cops on his daughter and her friends. Bethany McKee, 20, was sentenced sentenced for the 2013 murders of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins, according to ABC7Chicago.com. When she returned, McKee told police, Rankins and Glover were dead. "It was one of the hardest days of my life thus far. Crying, and at times hard to understand, she read a statement saying, had I known this was going to happen I would have made better choices.. Massaro, who Bill McKee accused of being a bad influence on his daughter, made out a lot better than her longtime pal. He is crazy. On Jan. 2, 2013, McKee had traded messages on social media with friend Jennifer Ortega about making money by selling old cell phones, childrens clothes or throwing a party and charging admission, Ortega testified. Bethany McKees attorney, Neil Patel, told how she was raped when she was 14 and shortly after abducted and forced into prostitution. During that time, Bethany was terrified for her own life and believed that if she reported what had happened, she would become Adam and Josh's third victim. Bethany L. MCKEE, Defendant-Appellant.
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