A church-going “good kid” with a master’s degree is facing murder charges for killing another young man, also a college graduate, over an argument concerning stemware in a downtown Naperville bar, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
The bar fight went too far before employees could stop it – and others were stabbed in the melee.
D.O. was charged with killing Naperville elementary school teacher, S.W., 24, at approximately 12:45 a.m. on February 4. The two had never met before. S.W. had tried to end an argument between his friend, W.H., and D.O. when D.O. fatally stabbed S.W. in the heart.
All three young men had been seated at the same table in the nightclub, Frankies Blue Room, among a crowd of approximately 100 other bar patrons.
W.H. and S.W. were at the bar together, with other friends, while D.O.’s friends had left.
Assistant State’s Attorney Tim Diamond said that D.O., drinking beer from a wine glass, was teased by W.H. about it. Finally, as the argument escalated, the two men stood up with S.W. intervening.
Allegedly D.O. then pulled out a folding knife – reportedly five-inches long – and lunged at W.H. D.O. cut a slice in S.W.’s arm and into W.H.’s chest. But, when S.W. tried to prevent D.O. from leaving the bar, D.O. landed the fatal stab wound directly to S.W.’s heart.
An employee that also tried to help, R.C., was stabbed in the arm. Diamond said that it took several stitches to repair the damage.
W.H. had surgery and is currently in the Edward Hospital intensive care unit. He is expected to recover.
Naperville police were able to arrest D.O. before he left the bar.
D.O. has had his confession recorded on videotape, conducted a re-enactment for the authorities and his knife is in possession.
D.O.’s defense attorney, Earl Grinbarg, told Judge Neal Cerne that his client has no previous criminal record, holds a managerial job at the Schaumburg Regional Airport, is an Illinois State University graduate and received his master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State.
Grinbarg said, “Obviously, this is an incredible aberration in the life of (D.O).
Another attorney representing D.O., Perry Gulbrandsen, said that his client “is a good kid” that has a lifetime membership with the Grace Fellowship Christian Church and lives as home with his parents.
D.O.’s bail was set at $3 million and members of his church are helping to raise the $300,000 cash bond.
Naperville Police Chief David Dial said that the murder was set off by something very trivial: drinking beer from a wine glass. Chief Dial commented to the press, “I’ve had a lengthy police career and I’ve never seen anything that made less sense.”
County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin added, “This is an utterly senseless act of violence.”
D.O. is facing up to 120 years in prison if found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
If you have found yourself in an out-of-character circumstance that spiraled out of control, contact a criminal defense attorney to best represent you.
