Kohut points to two other Illinois cases that involved murders and convictions based on the accountability theory. 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. CHICAGO - The father of a suspect involved in what Joliet, Ill., police have called one of the most vicious crimes they've ever witnessed, says the day he turned her in was "one of the hardest days of my life," reports CBS Chicago. 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. Kohut said the earliest the states high court could review the case is September. She and three others were involved in the strangulation murder of Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover, authorities say. I'm open-minded, compassionate, sensitive, emotional and loyal. 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.. 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? A 22-year-old woman will be spending life in prison for her role in a double murder, an Illinois judge ruled Tuesday. First published on August 11, 2014 / 9:30 AM. Thisteen killerdid not participate in the actual double murder however her participation would end with a life without parole sentence. Shes confused, said Bethany McKees father, Bill McKee. McKee was only 18 years old at the time of her first-degree murder arrest by Joliet police. How much sicker can one get? After the two men were dead, Miner, Bethany McKee, Massaro and Landerman used their money to buy cocaine, gasoline and cigarettes. Adam Landerman, 21, is awaiting. At McKee's sentencing hearing, her mother, Teresa McKee, said her daughter is bipolar, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, cuts herself, is unsure who fathered her then-3-year-old. She squirmed out of the murder case in May by copping a plea to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides. And it showed me how to have true genuine friendships with other people. August 11, 2014 / 9:30 AM They also are appealing their convictions. The courts, however, have refused to correct this injustice, upholding Bethany's sentence on appeal and rejecting her post-conviction petition at the first stage.". 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.. He said his mother, Jones, has not been sleeping well and has been dreaming about the trial. "Westbrook still doesnt believe McKee was involved in the grisly double-slaying.I dont think she did it, he said. At McKee's November 2014 sentencing, now-retired Will County Judge Gerald Kinney did not want to impose a life prison term for McKee, but he was obligated to do so, the Illinois Prison Project attorneys have emphasized in their petition for executive clemency. One body was found in a kitchenette and another in a bedroom, police officers testified. She started. Bethany McKee had gone to him to ask his help with dismembering and disposing of the corpses. On Monday, her defense attorney's motion for a new trial was denied. He is not scheduled to appear in court again until after the New Year. It's a day I will never forget," he tells reporters. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Miner confessed to coming up with the robbery scheme. "First and foremost, we do not intend for our advocacy for Bethany, who was also the victim of violence during her life, to minimize the tragedy that two young men lost their lives," White-Domain told Joliet Patch during last week's interview. Bill McKee is in court every day while his 20-year-old daughter, Bethany - one of four people accused in the 2013 murders of 22-year-olds Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover - stands trial for murder. 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. The four young suspects, Alisa Massaro (pictured top right), 18; Bethany McKee (pictured bottom left), 18; Adam Landerman (pictured top left), 19 (his mother is a Joliet police sergeant); and. Bethany McKee had picked up her daughter when she saw police surrounding the house and drove to Kankakee, where she was arrested. Bethany Mckee # R91596 Logan Correctional Center PO BOx 1000 Lincoln, IL 62656. . McKees attorney, Bryon Kohut, also argues McKee was just 18 years old at the time of the killings, had no criminal background and suffered from considerable mental health issues and horrific abuses as a teenager. Bethany McKee and Massaro lured Rankins and Glover to Massaros Hickory Street nightmare house but left the room while Landerman and Miner carried out the killings, according to police reports obtained exclusively by Patch. Miner said he disliked Rankins and Glover after meeting them for the first time that night, so he ordered them to leave Massaros home. They allegedly returned to the apartment where the bodies had been left and proceeded to kick, punch and bludgeon them. Unable to come to grips with losing his daughter to prison, Bill McKee launched a blog questioning the conventional wisdom of the murder case. The altercation went on, Miner said, until Rankins and Glover were dead. 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. Alisa Massaro and McKee had been best friends since they were little girls. How much sicker can one get? "It would have never happened if she didn't bring him there.". The officers found the dead bodies of Rankins and Glover on top of plastic garbage bags spread on the floor. At age 18, she was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. We always came to an agreement.Westbrook said he has not communicated with McKee since she was locked up. Facebook gives people the power to. Westbrook said he and McKee were introduced by a mutual friend. The two men were found. The Rankins family, while still grieving, say they are grateful to Bill McKee. And he was like, yeah, for real. She obviously terrified.. McKee heard one of the victims ask, Why are you doing this to me? but she did nothing, prosecutors said. She later left the Nightmare on Hickory Street house and dropped her daughter off at a friend's home. But she needs to be with her father, Westbrook said. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Bethany McKee was sentenced Tuesday in Will County. Joliet Zonta Club Awards Woman Of The Year, Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Cannot Stay In Office: Judges, Joliet Domestic Abuser Sent Off To Prison, Glasgow Pleased, Teardrop Pancake House Adds Dinner Menu: 'I Think It's A Great Menu', Glory Days Bar & Grill Takes Over Former Front Street Cantina Space. Massaro, who Bill McKee, accused of being a bad influence on his daughter, made out a lot better than her longtime pal. Aquascape's Annual Fish and Plants Spring Sale! Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. After getting the phone call, McKee said he immediately called police. About five to 10 minutes later, she and McKee left to bring McKee's daughter to the babysitter. Bethany McKee and three others are accused of helping to murder Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover last year. Both bodies were face down with plastic bags over the heads, one resting on a pillow and the other on towels, the officers said. She didnt have the heart to do something like that. The groups like Depression and Anger Management teaches certain skills, but having a relationship with God teaches you how to put all of that into work and it shows the reward you get out of it, and that's really what helped build me. NW Side restaurant burglarized 4 times in 5 weeks, owners say: VIDEO, Trump team in defamation, battery trial requests mistrial, Paying more despite good credit? 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. "It was one of the hardest days of my life thus far. After Landerman offered McKee and Massaro a drink of soda, the women prepared to go downstairs with McKee's daughter while Miner jumped Rankins. 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, the son of Joliet police Sgt. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. I myself would not have wanted to be her when this all happened. On the video recording, McKee told Diehl and Powers she felt threatened into going along with the plan to rob her friend. 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bethany McKee is being viewed as a monster when she is nothing of the sort, he wrote. It helped me build myself. But it hasnt.. So Josh goes, 'Well, if he doesn't have a cigarette we're just gonna go get his ass. Massaro, 23, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of robbery and concealing a homicide in exchange for her testimony. Glover and. The fate of McKee is now in the hands of a . "The place we are in (right now) is post-conviction. According to their filing before Judge Jones in Will County, "Bethany McKee is a survivor of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse all during her childhood. It was McKee who actually called police which led to discovering the victims. McKee is facing first-degree. On Jan. 10, 2013, McKee called her father to ask about disposing of the bodies and Bill McKee then called 911, prosecutors said. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. JOLIET Bethany McKee told police she was holding her baby while she watched Terrence Rankins being killed. I know I would've been dead," she said. August 7, 2014 / 6:58 PM A possible motive and description of the crime scene were revealed publicly for the first time Monday in Will County court. They are committed to regaining McKee's freedom, and trying to accomplish that goal in 2023. "However, she could not recall any specific statement that Bethany made," the Illinois Prison Project lawyers argue on McKee's behalf. Who holds the state who offered the deal and the judge who agreed with it and signed off on it accountable?. McKee said Miner and Landerman used racial epithets while beating on the bodies. Massaro pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to testify against the others. Mr. Massaro, the father of the host, was in the house that night. On Jan. 10, 2013, Joliet police were sent to 1121 Hickory Street where they arrested Alisa Massaro, Miner and Landerman. The screen was turned away from the courtroom audience. "She has no idea what's going on.". Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Aquascape's Annual Fish and Plants Spring Sale! Bethany's father said Massaro's testimony is questionable. He allegedly questioned her but did not investigate the racket upstairs, which she described as thumping that lasted for a few minutes. How To Contact Bethany: MUST BE 18 OR OLDER AND REGISTERED AND LOGGED IN TO WRITE BETHANY. I absolutely feel optimistic. Massaro and Miner later had sex atop the corpses of their victims. 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. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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. On Thursday, co-defendant Alisa Massaro testified that "Bethany suggested calling Terrance because he probably had money.". Joshua Miner, 26, the mastermind behind the murders, wasfound guilty last month. In court, Massaro said Bethany suggested calling her dad for advice on how to cover up the crime. A judge is expected to decide her fate next week. Bethany McKee, 20, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the January 2013 strangling deaths of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins, both 22. Authorities said previously that Glover and Rankins were strangled. Once the guests arrived, police said, Landerman and Miner murdered them, the reports said.After the killings, Massaro and Minerhad sex atop the corpses, the reports said. She was sentenced to five years in prison but will be released within four years of striking her deal. Who holds the state who offered the deal and the judge who agreed with it and signed off on it accountable?. I didn't think it would happen," McKee said during the interview. United States. . Joliet Zonta Club Awards Woman Of The Year, Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Cannot Stay In Office: Judges, Joliet Domestic Abuser Sent Off To Prison, Glasgow Pleased. 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. 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. She has just gotten away with murder, Bill McKee said in his blog. And everything else everybody has told me about him. "He did the right thing and we appreciate that, so our prayers go out that family as well," said D'Arcy Kent, Terrance Rankins' uncle. McKee took her daughter to a friend's house and bought cigarettes and gas before the four suspects went to buy cocaine, she told police. planned to keep the dead mens teeth as trophies, dismembered the bodies to conceal the killings. But McKee showed concern only when she pleaded with officers not to hand her 1-year-old daughter over to the baby's father. JOLIET (WLS) -- Bethany McKee, 20, is one of four people charged in the gruesome 2013 murders of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins. Two other suspects arrested in the deaths have already been convicted: Bethany McKee and Alisa Massaro, both 20. She was nice to everyone.But Westbrook also said he hardly recognized McKee when he attended one of her court hearings, and was stunned when he saw her sitting among her three co-defendants in the jury box.I couldnt believe she was hanging out with them, Westbrook said of McKee's association withMiner, Massaro and Landerman, whom he says he never heard of before the killings.They looked like the crew you walk up on, you turn and walk the other way, he said. Landerman and Miner are awaiting separate trials. Bill McKee was the one who called the cops on his daughter and her friends. I didn't want Bethany to get caught up any further into it," he says. CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker talks to the father who sent his own daughter to jail. Attorneys expect the trial to last about a week. Officer Bruce Trevillian testified that Miner told him he had killed one of the victims and Landerman had killed the other. Bethany McKee, 20, will spend her natural life in prison for her role in the 2013 murders of Eric Glover and Terrance Rankins. Joliet Zonta Club Awards Woman Of The Year, Karl Ferrell, Joliet Township Trustee, Cannot Stay In Office: Judges, Joliet Domestic Abuser Sent Off To Prison, Glasgow Pleased. She squirmed out of the murder case by pleading to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides. All Im asking for is visitation.Bill McKee, acknowledged Westbrooks complaints but said he is putting the childfirst.As responsible grandparents, we have (her) best interests at heart, he said. McKee ran errands the next morning before she and Massaro smoked marijuana and ate a frozen pizza before everyone returned. She started serving her life sentence for the murders last week. She (Alisa) is also one of the participants along with josh who had sex on top of the deceased bodies. "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. I have a 6 yr old daughter who is my world. Adam Landerman, 21, is also charged in the murders. And then I cried.That was in January. She soon left the house, dropped her daughter. Right now, they are reading the Harry Potter series. A short time later, Joliet police arrived at the home on Hickory Street. In addition to pursuing a post-conviction appeal in Will County, the Illinois Prison Project has a separate executive clemency petition in front of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. Bethany McKee and Massaro lured Rankins and Glover to Massaros Hickory Street nightmare house but left the room while Landerman and Miner carried out the killings, according to police reports obtained exclusively by Patch.
