Keller's Remains May Be Coming Home, Lawyers Say

At least some of Toni Keller’s remains will be coming home – possibly within a week.

 Attorneys in DeKalb today reached an agreement that will allow portions of the Plainfield co-ed’s remains to be released to family members who want to hold a memorial service for the 18-year-old Northern Illinois University student, according to today’s report in the DeKalb Daily Chronicle.

 Police believe Antinette Keller was killed while taking a walk in the park in the fall and have charged William "Billy" Curl, a 34-year-old DeKalb man, with her murder.

 Curl’s public defender, Regina Harris, and DeKalb County State's Attorney Clay Campbell in a DeKalb court today announced an arrangement that will let some of Antinette Keller’s remains be delivered to her family in a week to 10 days, the Chronicle reports.

 Attorneys agree the court needs to keep some of Keller’s remains for evidence at Curl’s trial. But Harris consented that a forensic burn expert working with the defense team could do some of his analysis by studying photos of Keller’s remains. Prosecutors also want to examine portions of Keller’s body, her clothing and a piece of evidence from Curl’s bathroom, they say.

 Police found Keller’s nearly completely burned remains two days after she told friends she was going for a walk at DeKalb’s Prairie Park on Oct. 14. Her remains were so badly burned police could not positively identify her body until January.

 , held since his October arrest in the DeKalb County Jail on a bond of more than $5 million, is pleading not guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and one count each of concealing a homicide, arson and sexual assault.