Harrah's Murder Defendant Wandered Casino For 2 Days, Slept There

JOLIET, IL — Joliet first-degree murder defendant Robert Watson had been kicked out Harrah's Casino back in 2014 for furnishing a fake ID to casino staff, according to video surveillance tapes shown to the Will County jury on Monday morning during the second week of trial.

Five years later, on March 23-24, 2019 Watson returned to Harrah's as a transient. He wore a hooded sweatshirt and a hooded jacket and a large backpack over his shoulders as his repeatedly avoided entering the main casino floor, where he would have been stopped and asked for ID, according to prosecutor Will Lite.

On Monday morning, the prosecution finished its case in the March 24, 2019, deadly hallway stabbing of 76-year-old Wisconsin sports bar owner, Sam Burgarino.

For her first witness, Will County Public Defender Shenonda Tisdale re-called Larry Ferguson, manager of surveillance at Harrah's Casino Joliet, to the stand.

Tisdale played several minutes of video surveillance footage from Harrah's that showed her client wandering the downtown Joliet casino property over a two-day period leading up to the grisly hallway murder on the fifth floor of the hotel.

Watson was arrested the following day by Joliet police. His lawyer has entered an insanity defense on his behalf.

Here were the key moments from Monday morning's trial, with Ferguson testifying and Tisdale presenting her evidence:

Saturday, March 23, 2019:

Roughly 24 hours before the murder, Harrah's surveillance footage showed Watson wearing a backpack inside the Harrah's Casino as he goes and sits down near a bar area, around 10:45 p.m.

By midnight, Watson exits the casino and enters the parking deck. "It shows him exiting to the garage," Ferguson testified.

Watson was a transient without a vehicle, so there was no reason for him to be wandering around Harrah's multi-level parking deck.

After walking through the parking deck, Watson reenters the casino, rides down an escalator and walks to the hotel lobby. He rides another elevator and gets into the hotel elevator with a man. When the elevator door opens, Watson gets off first. Watson exits on to one of the hotel floors.

Sunday, March 24, 2019:

Around 7 a.m., now the next day, Watson reappears on surveillance video walking down a concrete stairwell to the first floor, where he obtains a pair of latex gloves from a supply shelf in the stairwell.

During Monday's testimony, Tisdale asked Ferguson if it would appear that Watson spent the night inside the Harrah's Casino property because there were no video surveillance cameras that showed Watson exiting the casino between midnight and 7 a.m.

"Yes," Ferguson agreed.

After taking the latex gloves, Watson walked back up the stairwell and later got on another elevator, with a man on it. This time, Watson and the man exit at the same time. Video surveillance tapes from Harrah's always show Watson alone, wearing a backpack over his shoulders, during the two days leading up to Burgarino's murder.

Around 5 p.m., Watson goes outside the casino and visits the riverwalk. He sits by himself on a chair at a patio table, then he stands up and walks along the riverwalk toward the Joliet Township Government Building near the Jefferson Street Bridge. Watson eventually returns to the inside of the casino and walks back and forth along the red and pink carpeted hallways. Watson approaches the main casino area that is monitored by casino staff who are checking IDs, but Watson avoids the turnstile. Instead, Watson walks toward the bar area and sits down.

The time is now 8:10 p.m.

"He was seated in the Cross Street Grill outside seating for patrons not in the casino," Ferguson testified.

Harrah's video surveillance showed Watson leaving the restaurant, and he rides down another escalator. Watson followed an older couple into the third-floor parking garage. They get into their car and leave. The time is now approaching 9:25 p.m.

Before reentering the casino from the third floor parking garage, Watson stands for several minutes near the parking deck lodge, overlooking the Des Plaines River.

At 9:28 p.m., Watson goes back inside the casino. He walks down a flight of stairs inside the casino area, instead of using the nearby escalator. This time, Watson enters a bathroom near the hotel lobby. By 9:39 p.m., Watson exits the restroom, and walks into the hotel lobby. A few people can be seen walking past him in the distance, but he's the only person to make himself comfortable in one of the lounge sofas. "He sat on a sofa in that area," Ferguson testified.

Additional video surveillance leading up to Burgarino's murder was not played by the defense. Instead, Tisdale asked Ferguson if the suspect was on or near the casino's property for several hours?

"Yes," he answered.

"He was captured on dozens of video cameras?" Tisdale inquired.

"Yes," Ferguson agreed.

During cross-examination from prosecutor Will Lite, Ferguson explained that casino security guard were not monitoring Watson's movements during the hours leading up to the murder. The video that was presented Monday in court was created after the fact, at the request of Joliet Police Department detectives tasked with solving Burgarino's murder, Ferguson indicated.

Also, at no point on March 23 and 24, 2019, did Watson attempt to enter an area of Harrah's, specifically the casino gaming floor, where Watson would have been asked for identification, Lite asked the witness.

"That is correct," Ferguson responded.

Ferguson also agreed that Watson's behavior inside the casino that March weekend did not cause any alarm or arouse suspicion from Harrah's security guards.

"No odd or bizarre behavior?" Lite inquired.

"That is correct," Ferguson replied.

The first commotion that drew attention to Watson came in the moments after the hallway stabbing. Watson ran down the back stairwell and ran out a secure door on the first-floor, tripping an alarm for the casino, Ferguson testified.

At some point prior to the murder, Watson changed some of his clothes, taking off his red and black sweatshirt and putting it into his backpack, prosecutors said. However, Watson continued to wear his white Air Jordan gym shoes and his blue and white striped pajama pants.

By visiting the casino's restaurant area, Watson was not required to furnish his ID, Lite asked.

"That is correct," Ferguson testified.

The trial resumes around 1:30 p.m. with the defense calling its next witness. It remains unclear whether Watson will testify in his own defense. On Monday morning, Judge Dave Carlson reminded Watson that he is not compelled to testify in his own defense.