Bellwood Man Sentenced For 2014 Bensenville Murder

BELLWOOD, IL — A Bellwood man who was involved in the murder of Bensenville tobacco store owner Hussein Saghir in 2014 has been sentenced to 22 years in prison, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Kenneth Bardlett, 24, entered a plea of guilty to one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a class X felony.

The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said as part of his plea agreement, Bardlett agreed to testify truthfully against any and all co-defendants involved in the murder. In exchange, the state agreed to a sentencing recommendation of twenty years to be served at 85 percent.

However, during the trial against one of his co-defendants, Bardlett lied on the witness stand, the Attorney's Office said. The state then filed a motion to withdraw the plea agreement. This motion was granted by the court and first degree murder charges were reinstated against Bardlett. The court also found Bardlett in contempt of court for “engaging in unruly verbal and physical behavior” and for “providing false testimony” and sentenced Bardlett to 180 days in the county jail with credit for time served.

Two other men, both from Chicago, have been charged in the murder of Sahir. Tremayne Davis, 27, entered a plea of guilty to one count of attempted armed robbery with a firearm and he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Stephan Russell, 25, was found guilty in November 2017 of two counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, according to the State's Attorney's Office. Russell’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 18 for sentencing in front of Judge Daniel Guerin.

The three men went to Sam's Tobacco and Foodmart on Irving Park Road in Bensenville at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 19, 2014. The State's Attorney's Office said, while Davis remained in the car, Bardlett and Russell encountered Saghir and his brother outside the store as they were closing up for the night.

Following a brief altercation between the men, Saghir was shot and killed, the State's Attorney's Office said. After the murder, Bardlett, Davis and Russell fled the scene. An investigation led by the Bensenville Police Department, the Major Crimes Task Force and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office led authorities to the men.

“Regardless of what Mr. Bardlett has said or done in the past in relation to this case, the fact remains that Mr. Saghir is no longer here, able to share in the lives of his loved ones,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a release. “For his role in the murder, Mr. Bardlett will now spend the next 22 years of his life behind bars.

He added that Bardlett ignored his deal to tell the truth in an effort to infect the judicial system, and so years were added to his prison sentence. Bardlett will be required to serve 100 percent of his sentence. He will receive credit for time served in jail awaiting trial.

Photo provided by DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.