A judge will make a decision Oct. 8 in the bench trial for the alleged "ringleader" of a gruesome 2013 double murder in Joliet.
Joshua Miner, 26, is one of four suspects charged in the murders of Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover, both 22. Police said the victims were lured to the house, robbed and strangled, and then the suspects played video games until police arrived.
Defense lawyers presented one witness Tuesday before the judge received the case.
Miner claims one of the victims tried to rape one of his co-defendants, Bethany McKee, but prosecutors said the motive for the crime was robbery.
During a videotaped police interview played last week in court, Miner described what happened.
"I punched him in the side of the head ... we wrestled and I overtook him ... finally, he stopped moving," Miner said during the interview.
Christopher Botzum, a Joliet police computer forensics expert, testified about text messages and phone calls from a mobile phone possibly owned by Miner.
Botzum said an outgoing text from the phone said, "We'll clean up ... trying to keep their stuff separate." An incoming text from the phone said, "We'll try and clean. We will do our best."
Miner waived his right to a jury trial.
During a brief opening statement, the Will County State's Attorney's Office said Miner confessed to at least one of the murders, saying, "I killed this guy." Prosecutors also said there is DNA evidence in the form of Rankins' blood on the defendant's shirt.
In its opening statement, the defense took issue with there being a "common plan" to murder Rankins and Glover and went on to say that "evidence is not going to support that."
Last month, a Will County Judge found McKee, 20, guilty of first-degree murder. A third suspect, Alisa Massaro, pleaded guilty to robbery and concealment of a homicidal death in exchange for a 10-year prison sentence and a fourth suspect, Adam Landerman, is awaiting trial.
Terrance Rankins' father, Duval Rankins, attended court throughout the trial.
"I wanna hear what happened in that house. I wanna hear what Joshua Miner done to my son," Rankins said.
"Our family is going through a trying time right now. It's very, very hard."
Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow is personally trying the case.
