Bullet Ties Boshears To Katie Kearns' Murder: Testimony

JOLIET, IL — The only way to visit the Joliet Outlaws clubhouse is when a patched member opens the door to let you inside. But on Nov. 18, 2017, the Will County Sheriff's Office was running the show, and one of the Outlaws, Jeremy Boshears, was a murder suspect in the violent death of Katie Kearns, his new girlfriend.

Will County Sheriff's Deputy Terry Bergin joined several colleagues as they broke down the front door at the Outlaws clubhouse at 1915 East Washington St.

"During the search, I observed an area behind the bar on the ceiling that had been wiped down," Bergin testified Tuesday afternoon as one of the day's key witnesses for Assistant Will County State's Attorney Steven Platek.

Boshears, now 36, is standing trial in the Will County Courthouse on first-degree murder charges.

Bergin, who retired last year after 17 years in the crime scene investigation unit, helped lead the evidence collection efforts in the death of Kearns. The 24-year-old Mokena resident tended bar at Woody's, a long-time hangout for the Joliet Outlaws.

Days after Kearns' body was found wrapped in a tarp and mattress in the back of her Jeep Grand Cherokee, 60 miles from Joliet, Will County deputies raided the Joliet Outlaws property.

Yellow layers of cigarette smoke caked the walls and ceiling — except for a rectangular area 10 inches by 12 inches, Bergin testified.

"That was now clean of all this nicotine and tar," Bergin told the jury. "It was directly above and behind the bar."

Platek asked the veteran Will County crime scene investigator what else he remembered about the inside of the Joliet Outlaws clubhouse.

"The area behind the bar on the ceiling had been wiped down," Bergin testified.

Additionally, Bergin saw a "white smoke detector out of place."

"We thought it looked odd," he said. "It was perfectly unblemished. It had no stains of nicotine or tar."

The new smoke detector was attached to the ceiling with "sticky tape," Bergin testified.

When he removed it, "there was a hole in the ceiling."

The hole was "about the size of a quarter," Bergin testified. "Looking at the hole, I recognized it as a bullet hole."

Eventually, Will County deputies cut a small hole in another spot of the ceiling.

Bergin, who is thin, volunteered for the next task.

"I climbed up inside with a flashlight," he testified.

Inside the ceiling, "I recognized it was a ricochet from the bullet."

The jury learned the ceiling contained Owens Corning pink insulation.

"I dug through the insulation and found a full metal jacket," Bergin testified.

On Tuesday afternoon, Platek showed a trial exhibit on the large video screen in Judge Dave Carlson's courtroom. He asked if his witness could identify it.

"This is the fired bullet from the previous photograph," Bergin told jurors. "I placed it inside this white sealed envelope."

On Monday, jurors learned that Boshears and a probate in the Joliet Outlaws, Colby O'Neal, drove to the New Lenox Walmart. According to the testimony, Boshears bought a new smoke detector to conceal the area of the ceiling where the bullet ended up.

During Tuesday's testimony, Bergin said he also participated in the search warrant at the Coal City house where Boshears lived with his wife and child.

A photo entered into evidence showed the defendant's kitchen table.

"There's a handgun lying on it," Bergin pointed out. "It was unloaded and no rounds inside the weapon."

Inside the house, Bergin found a gun magazine containing 13 rounds. He also recovered lots of spare ammunition of different calibers.

"Approximately 40 loose ammunition," Bergin testified. "Yes, there are numerous 45's ... different manufacturers."

Bergin talked about recovering two black and white long-sleeved plaid shirts that Boshears had worn. The first shirt was found on the couch.

"There are some stains on that shirt, you can see where a substance was," Bergin testified.

"And they are stains on the front?" Platek asked.

"There are."

"How many stains?"

"I don't know. There's more than one."

Bergin found the other flannel shirt on the master bedroom floor.

While Bergin was on the witness stand a large portion of Tuesday afternoon, Will County Sheriff's Deputy Martin Stortz's testimony was brief.

In November 2017, he was tasked with finding Boshears.

"I was met at the door by his wife, Rachel," Stortz testified. "He was in the bedroom sleeping. He did eventually come out to the living room."

After the deputy had him sit in the recliner, Boshears "yelled 'f---' twice," Stortz told the jury.

The murder trial resumes with more prosecution witnesses Wednesday morning.

The prosecution team of Platek, Dan Egan and Tom Bahar may finish calling all their witnesses early next week. Bretz has not said whether he plans to let Boshears testify in his own defense.

More Patch Trial Coverage: Boshears Cries As Jury Sees Photos Of Katie Kearns' Body