Jury Finds McHenry Man Guilty of Killing Girlfriend, Sealing Her Body in Bedroom

A jury has found a McHenry man guilty of killing his girlfriend and then leaving her rotting body in a room, which he sealed off, before he left town, the Chicago Tribune reports.

William J. Ross, 64, took the stand during his trial on Thursday where he said he did not kill Jacqueline Schaefer and did not know how her body ended up in his home at 518 Country Club Road in McHenry, according to the Chicago Tribune. A McHenry County jury did not buy his story and returned with a guilty verdict after just three hours of deliberations on Friday.

Schaefer’s body was found in November 2013 by a caretaker. Court documents revealed the 49-year-old woman was shot on Sept. 11, 2011.

During a trial this past week, prosecutors said Ross let beetles and maggots eat away at Schaefer’s flesh for several months before he bought supplies to seal the door to the woman’s room and then left town, according to the Daily Herald. In closing arguments, prosecutors argued Ross is the only person who could have killed Schaefer.

Ross’ defense attorney said the Schaefer’s body was decomposed to the point that it was impossible to prove how, when or if she was shot and also questioned evidence presented at the trial that he labeled as “circumstantial” since there were no witnesses, blood spatter and no gun, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Prosecutors during the trial also said Ross was an abusive alcoholic who rented an upstairs unit and spare bedrooms to women who he would control and abuse, according to the Northwest Herald. Ross was arrested twice in 2007 on domestic battery charges for allegations he attacked Schaefer. She was left with a bloody lip, bruised wrist and bruises on her neck.

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