Gag order issued in Joliet double homicide case

Published reports detailing a double homicide in Joliet had defense attorneys crying foul this morning over the leaked information, prompting a Will County judge to issue a temporary gag order preventing attorneys from talking about the case outside court.

Details about the strangulations of Terrance Rankins  and Eric Glover emerged in reports by other news organizations this week. The news accounts cited police reports that attorneys on both sides of the case claimed were improperly leaked to the media.

Adam Landerman, 19, Alisa Massaro, 19, Bethany McKee, 18, and Joshua Miner, 24, each face first-degree murder charges and remain in custody on $ 10 million bond each for the January slayings of Rankins and Glover. Landerman is the son of a Joliet police officer. Police have said they believe robbery was the motive for the deaths of the two friends at a Joliet home.

Family and friends of the victims packed the courthouse in Joliet this morning. Many of Rankins' friends and relatives wore lanyards with photos of him.

Glover's stepfather, Bobby Jones, said he had not read any of the recent stories with details of the case – adding the only way he would learn of details would be "in the courtroom."

"I want to make sure this case moves forward and get justice for my son," Jones said. "I don't want to jeopardize the case. I want to make sure that the people who did this get what they deserve."

Defense attorneys requested the gag to stop the leak of information about the case and asked for a special prosecutor to investigate.

Will County Judge Gerald Kinney will further discuss the gag order, the special prosecutor request and other issues at a hearing March 11. In the meantime, he urged all the attorneys to do some of their own digging.

"It does appear that discovery (evidence) is being tendered to the media," said Judge Gerald Kinney. "It's problematic, and it's something that I think needs to be looked into.!

"Emails need to be checked, " he said. "I think we need to make a good faith effort to find out (how the information was leaked), and where it goes, it goes."

Defense attorney Charles Bretz assured Kinney that he has already checked with his staff and the leak did not come from his office. Defense attorneys suggested the leak came from within the Joliet Police Department. Officials from the Joliet Police Department did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

"They know better, and it shouldn't be done," Kinney responded to the suggestion that the leak came from police.

A reporter for a local news website that published information this week about the slayings citing police reports was issued a subpoena by one of the defense attorney's firms.

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