Wednesday, April 3, 2013
William Curl pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Plainfield teen Antinette "Toni" Keller Wednesday. The Keller family and their supporters have been vocal in criticizing the plea deal.
Toni Keller was 18 years old when she was murdered in a DeKalb park after taking a walk on a sunny fall day. The man who admitted killing her will be 71 when he gets out of prison. William Curl, 36, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to murdering Keller, a Plainfield resident and freshman at Northern Illinois University. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to 37 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He must serve 100 percent of the sentence, which the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office called “the longest ever imposed at 100 percent on a negotiated plea” on a non-death penalty case in DeKalb County. Curl is not eligible to receive time off for good behavior, although he will get credit for the more than two years he’s …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
William Curl will plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence in the murder of Plainfield teenager Antinette “Toni” Keller. His sister said he maintains his innocence, but agreed to an Alford plea.
Updated at 7:18 a.m. April 3 The man accused of murdering a Plainfield teenager and attempting to conceal the crime by burning her remains agreed Tuesday to plead guilty in exchange for a 37-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. William Curl, 36, is accused in the sexual assault and murder of 18-year-old Northern Illinois University freshman Toni Keller. The teen disappeared in October 2010 after going for a walk in a DeKalb park. Her charred remains were found two days later. Thelma Holderness, founder of the Keller family support Facebook group Summoning of Yellow, said Toni’s parents, Roger and Diane Keller, confirmed Monday that a plea deal was in the works. Holderness said DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Attorneys for accused killer William Curl asked for more time.
A DeKalb County judge ruled that the trial will begin as scheduled on April 11 in the murder of Plainfield teen and Northern Illinois University freshman Toni Keller. William Curl, 36, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, criminal sexual assault and concealing a homicidal death. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter On Wednesday, Judge Robbin Stuckert denied a request from public defender Tom McCulloch seeking another trial delay, according to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle. McCulloch said he wanted more time because he was concerned prosecutors would call an expert psychologist to the stand without giving the defense the expert's name or background information until just before the trial, the Chronicle reported. …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Prosecutors have asked for more time in case against William Curl, accused in death of Plainfield teenager.
For the fourth time, the trial date has been pushed back for 36-year-old William “Billy” Curl, accused in the sexual assault and murder of Plainfield teen Antinette "Toni" Keller. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter. On Monday, the trial was continued until April 11, 2013, after a DeKalb County judge agreed to give prosecutors time to recruit an expert in forensic psychology to testify in the proceedings against Curl, according to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle. Last month, Judge Robbin Stuckert denied prosectors’ request to bar testimony from a psychologist who evaluated Curl for the defense. Stuckert also denied a request from the defense seeking to have all five first-degree murder charges dismissed. Curl’s attorneys unsuccessfully …
Friday, December 7, 2012
A DeKalb County judge on Thursday denied defense motions to drop all five counts of first-degree murder against accused killer William Curl.
William “Billy” Curl will stand trial on charges he sexually assaulted and murdered Plainfield teen Antinette "Toni" Keller after a judge rejected a motion to dismiss all five counts of first-degree murder. Judge Robbin Stuckert on Thursday denied the motion, filed in October by Curl’s attorneys. READ: ACCUSED KILLER SEEKS TO HAVE CHARGES DISMISSED IN TONI KELLER CASE The lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the murder charges “because they do not specify what acts caused Keller’s death,” which prevents the accused killer from adequately preparing a defense, the DeKalb Daily Chronicle reported. The judge also denied prosecutors’ request to bar testimony from a psychologist who conducted an evaluation of Curl for the defense. Along with the …
Monday, November 19, 2012
Lawyers say accused killer William Curl's hearing problems prevent him from understanding court proceedings.
After more than two years of waiting, the family of murdered Northern Illinois University freshman Antinette "Toni" Keller could finally see the wheels of justice begin to turn, with a new trial date for accused killer William Curl. But in a bitter twist, the new start date — Jan. 14, 2013 — has another meaning for Roger and Diane Keller. That's the day their daughter would have celebrated her 21st birthday. Medical tests revealed that Curl, 36, has hearing problems that could affect his ability to understand what's happening at his murder trial, according to his attorneys. The trial has been pushed back yet again — it's already been delayed twice — so that Curl can be fitted for hearing aids, according to Keller family friend Thelma …
Monday, November 12, 2012
Judge Robbin Stuckert was slated to rule Tuesday on defense motions to dismiss all five first-degree murder charges.
An important hearing in the Antinette “Toni” Keller murder trial has been postponed because accused killer William “Billy” Curl has an earache, according to attorneys. Thelma Holderness, a friend of parents Diane and Roger Keller, said the family was told a hearing set for Tuesday, Nov. 13 was cancelled because Curl, 36, has an earache and may have difficulty hearing in court. Curl is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the death of Keller, 18, a Plainfield resident and Northern Illinois University freshman. Sign up for Plainfield Patch’s newsletter and get local news delivered straight to your inbox. He is also charged with one count of criminal sexual assault, one count of arson and one count of concealing a homicidal …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
DeKalb newspaper reports that attorneys for William “Billy” Curl filed a motion to have five counts of first-degree murder charges dropped, seek to block witness.
The man accused in the slaying of an 18-year-old from Plainfield was in court Tuesday as his attorneys moved to dismiss all five first-degree murder charges, according to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle. William “Billy” Curl, 36, is also charged with one count of criminal sexual assault, one count of arson and one count of concealing a homicidal death in the 2010 murder of Northern Illinois University freshman Antinette “Toni” Keller. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter. On Tuesday, Curl appeared in court via closed-circuit TV as his attorneys filed motions to dismiss the murder charges “because they do not specify what acts caused Keller’s death,” which prevents the accused killer from adequately preparing a defense, the Chronicle …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Plainfield, NIU communities come together to remember the slain teen, reflect on the lasting impact of her death.
For most people, Oct. 14 is just another date on the calendar. But for those gathered Wednesday night at the DeKalb Elks Lodge, the day has a different meaning, and it’s one that changed their lives forever. Led by Northern Illinois University custodian Thelma Holderness, the group gathered to remember the day Toni Keller's life ended, cruelly and far too soon. Keller, an 18-year-old freshman at NIU, disappeared on Oct. 14, 2010, after going to take photos for an art assignment at a DeKalb park. Her remains were found two days later. William Curl, the man who stands accused of sexually assaulting and murdering the Plainfield teenager, is scheduled to go on trial in December. Sign up for the Plainfield Patch newsletter. “In the past months…
Monday, September 24, 2012
Members of the Plainfield, DeKalb and NIU communities are invited to event on Oct. 10 at the DeKalb Elks Lodge.
Many of them never knew Antinette “Toni” Keller. But members of the Summoning of Yellow Facebook page will gather to share the loss that has touched so many lives since that cruel fall day in 2010. The group, created to show support for parents Roger and Diane Keller, will host the “2 Years After” event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the DeKalb Elks Lodge, 209 S. Annie Glidden Rd. in DeKalb. The event is intended as an evening of reflection, held four days before the second anniversary of Toni’s death, said Summoning of Yellow founder Thelma Holderness. Holderness, a Northern Illinois University employee, has worked to support the Kellers since Toni was reported missing on Oct. 14, 2010. Sign up for Plainfield Patch's free daily …
Michael Johnson
12:51 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2013
Pretty sad. Its moments like this that make me disappointed that the death penalty was removed from Illinois. Death should be rewarded with death. He took everything from her and he gets to live off of taxpayers and law abiding citizens. Put him down like the rabid animal he is. more ›