GUILTY: Jury Finds Anthony Francimore Guilty of Felony Murder, Robbery

JOLIET, IL — After less than three and a half hours of deliberation, a Will County jury found Joliet resident Anthony Francimore guilty of all charges including armed robbery and first-degree murder in the death of Nathan Ballard, 20. Francimore was found guilty of felony murder under the prosecution's theory of accountability.

Francimore, now 25, will be sentenced in January.

During Friday's closing arguments, long-time Assistant Will County State's Attorney Mike Fitzgerald held up a photo of 20-year-old Nathan Ballard during one of the more happy times in life. Ballard was smiling, holding the giant muskie he caught.

Fitzgerald also showed the jury a lifeless photo of Ballard with his eyes open, a photo taken at his autopsy, after the Joliet man died of a single gunshot wound that tore through his chest.

Jury deliberations began around 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, Fitzgerald reminded the Will County jury that Anthony Francimore, the defendant seated on the other side of Judge Vincent Cornelius in Courtroom 404, was responsible for Ballard's killing.

Francimore did not pull the trigger, Fitzgerald acknowledged, but Francimore arranged for the drug deal and the robbery of $75 from Ballard minutes before Francimore's friend, Elijah Watson, emerged from their getaway car and fired several gunshots out the window, according to the Will County prosecutors trying this week's first-degree murder case.

One of the bullets hit Ballard in the chest, ending his life.

Fitzgerald insisted that Francimore definitely knew Watson came along for Francimore's drug deal armed with a loaded gun. Afterward, Francimore was dropped off at his house, only to walk back to Watson's residence and hide inside a car, trying to avoid police detection.

The next day, Francimore and Watson met up with friends to dispose of evidence, then they met up for food at McDonald's and drove together to Chicago, to hide out from the Will County Sheriff's police trying to solve the overnight murder, according to Fitzgerald.

In Chicago, Francimore and Watson were together in Watson's car when Will County Sheriff's detectives, working with Chicago Police, captured them, Fitzgerald noted.

"They're still together and neither has called the police to let them know what's going on," Fitzgerald reminded the jury.

As he clutched the victim's photo, Fitzgerald told jurors how Nathan Ballard's death at 20 years old was a travesty.

Ballard's death was caused "by a guy whose companion set up a drug deal rip over $75."

Obviously, Eli Watson was the shooter, Fitzgerald told jurors. "Francimore knew that he was going to be armed," Fitzgerald asserted.

"Five years ago tomorrow," Fitzgerald reminded the jury of Ballard's killing, "you're the ones who can give Nathan Ballard justice."

Will County Public Defender Anthony Purrazzo handled the closing arguments for Francimore, who chose not to testify in his own defense on Friday.

During his closings, Purrazzo tried to hammer home to the jury his belief that Francimore had no idea, just like the other three people inside the car, that Watson had a gun and intended to shoot one of the Ballard brothers that night, around 1 a.m. Oct. 28, 2018, on Joliet's east side near the Belmont Athletic Club baseball fields.

Purrazzo insisted that Francimore did not have any gun, didn't have a knife, didn't show any aggression, didn't exhibit any force, when Francimore met with Nathan Ballard to get the $75 that Ballard thought was going to buy for Ecstasy from Francimore.

Anthony "had no weapons, had no knife, he had no gun," Purrazzo repeated.

Clearly, Francimore had no intent for Ballard to die that night, the public defender emphasized. "I submit to you, one proposition shy and you must deny," Purrazzo told the jury. "The (drug) transaction went by seamlessly. The car reversed, pulled forward and left. Then, Eli, unbeknownst (to everybody) had a gun, went out the window and started shooting."

Purrazzo insisted that his client blurted out, "What the f*** is you doing, bro?

"Nobody knew what Elijah Watson was thinking," Purrazzo told jurors. "The car drives, a Black guy with dreads starts dumping shots from a half block away. Nobody in that vehicle knew that Elijah Watson had a gun. Nobody in that car knew of Elijah's intent. Where does that leave us?"

For sure, the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Watson is guilty of first-degree murder, the public defender suggested.

As for his client, the prosecution failed to produce any emails, text messages, voicemail messages, social media direct messages, any conversations involving Francimore and Watson planning the murder, Purrazzo asserted.

"We never heard anything as it pertains to Eli Watson's intent in this case," Purrazzo pointed out. "You don't know what he was planning."

During the jury deliberations, Purrazzo assured them, they will agree Francimore never intended for Ballard to die. "You can't prove intent and there's no threat and no show of force. I'm positive you will find Anthony Francimore not guilty of all crimes."