Why wasn't John Wilson, Jr. in prison?
by Robert A. Waters
Everyone who ever met John Wilson, Jr., 38, knew he was a hardened felon. He’d spent seventeen of the last twenty years behind bars. But 8 years into an 11 year sentence, he was released on parole.
Wilson should have been in prison when, according to court documents, he stabbed fourteen-year-old Kelli O’Laughlin to death.
The felony complaint from the Circuit Court of Cook County reads: “On October 27, 2011, Indian Head Park police in response to a 911 call arrived at the residence located in the 6300 block of Keokuk, in Indian Head Park in Cook County, Illinois, and observed that Kelli had been stabbed in the back, neck, and chest. The victim was transported to Adventist Lagrange Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead...”
“Investigators from the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force have now determined that on October 27, 2011 the victim came home from school at approximately 3:40 p.m. That upon entering her home; the defendant confronted the victim, stabbed her multiple times and then dragged her body from the family room to the kitchen. A Chicago Cutlery carving knife with a blade length of approximately 8” was found next to a large blood pool in the family room. This knife had been part of the knife block set on the counter in the kitchen prior to the murder.”
Police reported that the murder was the result of a burglary gone wrong. Wilson allegedly broke into the home and was ransacking it when Kelli arrived home. After murdering her, he was traced through a cellphone he stole from Kelli. DNA was found on items he left at the scene and matched to his profile. He was also identified by several residents who noticed a suspicious character hanging around the neighborhood.
Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show that Wilson was released on probation in November, 2010.
Wilson's prison record reveals an intractable thug with no regard for the laws of society. (The criminal history shown below doesn’t include unsolved crimes or juvenile crimes--Wilson was arrested the first time when he was 10 and had joined a street gang by the time he was 12.)
Here are some of his major convictions and sentences:
1991: Violation of the Controlled Substances Act. 5 years.
1991: Receiving, possessing, and selling a stolen vehicle. 5 years.
1993: Violation of Controlled Substances Act. 1 year.
1993: Aggravated vehicular hijacking. 7 years.
2001: Aggravated battery of a peace officer. 2 years.
2002: Felony Robbery of a School or Place of Business. 11 years.
The 2002 crime that got him 11 years was one of his typical strokes of genius. Wilson intentionally ran his bicycle into a car driven by a woman. When she got out to check on him, he choked her, then snatched her wallet. The crime netted him $63.00 and, since he was a multiple recidivist, eleven years in prison.
Even his family knew he was dangerous. Shaun Dantzler, his older brother, said: "My little brother is crazy. I told the judge this in Skokie. I told him this already. My little brother has a serious problem." Wilson's grandmother, Ruthie Dantzler, added: "If he did it, throw the book at him."
On the other hand, Kelli O’Laughlin was loving, athletic, and enjoyed playing sports. "She would hang out with everybody," a classmate said. "You could really connect with her." She had a bright future in front of her.
Why was John Wilson out of prison?
All the explanations given by criminologists to justify the parole system make no sense. Convicted violent offenders should serve every second of his or her sentence.
Had that happened, Kelli O’Laughlin would still be alive.
3 comments:
Thank you for taking action on tis case and the others in my file. i have been advocating for the diagnosis
of psychopaths and and urging that they be off the street for good. I am heartbroken over the "observers" in the system who turn away. i called everyone in Illinois in the system -crocodile tears and dropped calls -the coverup is on.There is a sickening case in NY -improper sentence by mistake-improper release -and subsequent 19 hour torture/rape. You can look it up or might know about it.Thank you for what you are doing
muriel schnierow River Forest,il murs@kwom.com
I sure hope they convict this guy and give him life without parole. Thanks for writing about it.
Parole is earned its not mandatory however they often look for serious incidents of violent aggression before parole is considered the battery of a police officer should have rung the bell loud. I worked in prison 20 years and inmates assume they will get parole because of overcrowding and they are often right. If he was close to the end of his sentence he would have gotten parole anyway its wrong but its done its vital that those who are victims show up at parole hearing it really discourages letting dangerous felons out. Its not hard in prison to not offend in a room full of male felons who is gonna start up with them. I was a woman and there were few woman who worked with these men. I knew they past muster with parole for not having any severe misconducts with other male inmates. However the very presence of a female will stir the hate they feel towards the victims and bring behavior to the surface. Some people deserve a 2 chance but most don't and they play the system. People want to believe in change real change is easy to see and is lasting. Just not beating the shit out of someone is not change but that is part of the criteria for early release. When 5 to 10 years of hatred toward women, girls, children shows up after a parole release someone dies and its not the felon. Our system is broken. Its high time we we do truth in sentencing and refuse to let out any degree of dangerous behavior toward any one and once dangerous behavior is plainly obvious why let them out at all. Our justice system lets rapist out because they do their time that they have every intention of raping again they still can not be held because a new crime has yet to be committed. Violence against anyone should never be met with ok do your 5 and you can go home. I believe in the death penalty and came to know who would kill again and that should be enough to send them back to the creator to be judged. We take to long with to many appeals once given death which is very hard for a jury to give it should be done within the year.
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