Body Shop Murders: Billy's Mom, Sister Help Prosecution

JOLIET, IL - If Billy Krasawski gets convicted for the March 2016 killings inside the Fleet Specialty Painting body shop on Joliet's Cass Street, the defendant's own mother and his younger sister played a role in making that happen. On Wednesday afternoon, the Will County State's Attorney's Office called the murder defendant's mother, Christina Barnett of Bourbonnais and followed up by calling Rebecca Krasawski, the younger sister of the double murder defendant.

Billy Krasawski, now 43, is accused of using a long steel hammer and a heavy lead pipe wrench to club Michael Oram, 48, and Jamie Wills, 43, over their skulls. Both suffered multiple blows to their heads, dying inside Oram's family-owned business in the 800 block of Cass Street on March 9, 2016.

The Joliet Police Department quickly determined Krasawski was the culprit. He was the last person seen inside the garage with Oram and Wills; all three were smoking crack cocaine together inside the shop on the night of March 8, 2016, according to trial testimony.

The murder victims and Krasawski were all heavy crack cocaine users, according to testimony.

On Wednesday afternoon, the defendant's mother entered the courtroom, she raised her right hand and swore to tell the truth. The 67-year-old woman testified she was intoxicated on March 9, 2016. On that date, her son suddenly appeared at her house in Bourbonnais, probably around 2 p.m.

"He was real nervous," Barnett told the courtroom. "He came in pretty fast, abruptly. He said, 'Mom, I think I'm going to be in big trouble."

Her son needed the title to his red Ford Mustang and any money his mother could scrounge up, she testified.

She reached into her purse and found $6. She gave it to him. The car title was in a closet.

He looked desperate.

"I jokingly said, 'What did you do, kill somebody?'"

"And he said nothing," she testified.

Then, Krasawski gave his mother a warning, she remembered.

Krasawski told her, "'Mom, I love you, and I don't think you're going to see me for a long time,'" Barnett told the jury her son said, which was the same day the two slain bodies were found back in Joliet.

Her son left. She then called Billy's sister, who worked just a few blocks away at the Target store. "I called Rebecca home from work," Barnett told the jury.

At the time of the ordeal, Barnett testified, she herself was intoxicated from downing shots of Peppermint Schnapps much of that afternoon, along with taking some vicodin pills.

As for Rebecca Krasawski, she remembered dropping by her mother's place and "there was police at my mom's residence," she told the courtroom.

The detectives "they told me I had to come in," for an interview, which she did. Twice at the station, her brother called. She put his calls on speaker phone so the police could listen.

"He needed new clothes, and he stated he was hungry," she testified. Billy Krasawski also gave her the room he was staying at a motel in Chicago Heights. That's where the Joliet Police showed up and took him into custody.

Also on Wednesday afternoon:

• Detective Patrick Schumacher testified he obtained buccal swabs from the defendant for DNA samples.
• Detective Christopher Schott testified he found the murder weapons concealed underneath a piece of lumpy carpet inside the trunk of a car in the Fleet Specialty Painting body shop.
• Recently retired Detective Tom Ponce testified he retrieved the defendant's black-hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and gym shoes from the motel in Chicago Heights.
• Additionally, Ponce testified he recovered a black Jordan cap, a brown belt and two socks from the defendant's motel room as well.

During the morning testimony, Michelle Rossi took the stand. She had signed an immunity agreement to testify. Rossi told the jury that she supplied Billy Krasawski with his crack cocaine back in 2016. She also testified she remained a regular user of crack cocaine to this day, having used crack in recent days.

Prosecutors asked Rossi if she met up with the defendant several hours before the body shop murders to furnish Billy Krasawski with his crack cocaine?

"I did," she testified.

Krasawski called her back that afternoon because he needed more, she testified.

However, Rossi told the courtroom she was headed out of town and could not deliver him with any more drugs. The defendant acted perturbed and remarked that Rossi was making him "go through Mike" Oram to get more drugs, she testified.

Later that night, Oram and Wills were bludgeoned to death inside the body shop. Other prosecution witnesses testified they saw the two smoking crack cocaine with Krasawski inside the body shop late into the night on March 8, 2016.

One prosecution witness, forensic scientist Barbara Wilkins of the Illinois State Police, testified that she was asked to examine the two murder weapons and the silver handle for the trunk for any latent fingerprints.

She inspected the pipe wrench, the hammer and the trunk handle as well.

"Did you find any latent fingerprints suitable for comparison?" asked prosecutor Michael Fitzgerald.

"No I did not," Wilkins testified.

The jury trial resumes on Thursday at the Will County Courthouse with Judge David Carlson presiding.

Besides Fitzgerald, the prosecution team includes Jeff Tuminello and Dan Egan.

DAY 1: Cass Street Body Shop Murders Gets Underway

Mugshot of Billy Krasawski via Will County Sheriff's Department