Joliet Murder Defendant Of 5 Years Let Out Of Jail By Judge

JOLIET, IL — Christopher Beale, a Joliet first-degree murder defendant who has lived in the Will County Jail for more than five years and is serving as his own lawyer, is no longer staying in Will County's Jail after a Republican judge from Plainfield, Daniel Rippy, agreed to set him free.

Citing the new SAFE-T-Act, Beale recently convinced Rippy to let him remain a free while he awaits his April 22 jury trial for the deadly stabbing of 28-year-old Marcedes "Marci" Flakes. After receiving Rippy's permission, on Nov. 22, Beale walked out of the Will County Jail for the first time since his arrest on Oct. 1 2018.

Last week, Beale got himself to the Will County Courthouse for his most recent pretrial hearing, making good on his promise to attend all of his court hearings and follow the judge's strict guidelines regarding the conditions for Beale's pre-trial release as a murder defendant. Furthermore, Rippy granted Beale's pro se motion to amend his pretrial release order.

"Defendant is to remain on electronic monitoring, but he is allowed to leave his home for work purposes Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.," the judge wrote. "Defendant is also allowed to visit an Illinois Secretary of State facility in order to attempt to get a new driver's license on Jan. 5, 2024."

Two days before Judge Rippy agreed to let Beale out of the Will County Jail, the Joliet murder defendant acting as his own lawyer filed several pages of court documents, arguing he acted in self-defense when he took the life of his estranged girlfriend.

"First, the defendant's knowledge of the victim's violent tendencies necessarily affects his perceptions of and reactions to the victim's behavior," Beale wrote the judge. "The same deadly force that would be unreasonable in an altercation with a presumably peaceful citizen may be reasonable in response to similar behavior by a man of known violent and aggressive tendencies ... Second, evidence of the victim's propensity for violence tends to support the defendant's version of the facts where there are conflicting accounts of what happened."

Flakes lived at the now-demolished Fairview housing projects in Joliet's Forest Park area of the east side.

She died of a stab wound that pierced her heart, collapsing on the ground near the street.

Beale's Version Of Events

"On October 1, 2018, there was a domestic dispute between the defendant and the victim in this case which happens to be the mother of his three children," Beale notified Judge Rippy on Nov. 20. "The victim had a cooking pan which was striking the defendant across the face with so much blunt force that it busted the defendant (sic) lips and dented the pan.

"There was a struggle over a kitchen stake (sic) knife which the defendant gain possession of, the victim continue to strike the defendant in the face with the pan which caused a reaction by the defendant to fend off his attacker by swinging the knife one time which struck the victim in the back of her shoulder which pierced a main artery," Beale wrote.

At that point, Flakes "continued to attack the defendant after she was struck, so the defendant took the knife and fled from the home, threw the knife in the garbage can behind the house and fled to Chicago where he turned himself into Chicago Police Department who turned him over to Joliet Police Department."

Murder Defendant Said He Suffered Years Abuse

In his filing, Beale informed Judge Rippy that he, along with Flakes, "has a history of reported domestic violence incidents of over 15 reported events between the two and there is no other person the defendant have ever had any other domestic violence with. The defendant has been hospitalized over three times due to fatal stabbings caused by the victim," Beale wrote.

According to his filing:

On June 13, 2013, Beale went to Methodist Hospital in Gary, Indiana after Flakes "stabbed Christopher in the upper hip and thigh after an argument between the two, the Gary Police were called out but no report was taken but hospital was informed that Marcedes stabbed him."

On Feb. 10, 2014, Beale noted he was hospitalized at Silver Cross Hospital "from Marcedes stabbing him in the back. Joliet Police was called and she was booked into WCADF."

On May 30, 2017, Beale indicated he "was treated for a stabbing in the hand, back and face which he received stitches and staples" from Banner Thunderbird Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

On August 21, 2018, Beale went to the Emergency Room at Silver Cross "with a puncture wound to his hand that was caused by Marcedes Flakes."

Additionally, Beale informed the judge that he has never been arrested for possessing any deadly weapons over the years. "The victim in this case has several priors for assault and battery incidents on the defendant," he wrote.

Beale provided details from numerous police reports from overs years including: Aug. 22, 2010, with Joliet police, June 14, 2010, with the Will County Sheriff's Department, November 20, 2011, with Joliet police, July 19, 2021, with Joliet police, Feb. 10, 2014 with Joliet police and May 30, 2017, with the Phoenix Police Department in which Flakes was the aggressor, and he was the victim.

"The defendant has only one prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction between him and the victim on this case and a few driving citations," Beale pointed out.

Beale Is Gainfully Employed

Beale said he worked at Wirth Construction for five years as a field supervisor at the time of his arrest for murder. Beale stayed between Phoenix and Illinois, and he obtained a certificate to work as a medical assistant in Scottsdale, Arizona, as a corporate health nurse for a community outreach program.

"He has family support from his mother, grandmother, godfather and five sisters who all reside in Illinois," Beale reminded the judge. "Mr. Beale is a member of Judson Church on Black Road and Infantry where if released he will continue to attend.

"Mr. Beale still has his job opportunity as a field supervisor awaiting on his release and will be able to start back working for Wirth construction asap. Mr. Beale is the only living parent of his three children if released will continue to support them financially."

Beale notified the judge that he has resided in Will County with his grandmother for the past 30 years at her Joliet house in the 1300 block of Arthur Avenue.

Demolition Of Fairview Projects Hinders His Defense

In 2019, Joliet leaders gathered to celebrate the demolition of the Joliet Housing Authority's public housing projects at Fairview. Many people lived there in deplorable conditions, and Fairview was a magnet for constant shootings and gang killings, terrorizing many of the people at Fairview who did not have the financial means to move to a safer Joliet neighborhood.

For Beale, the demolition of Fairview only complicates his efforts to obtain a not-guilty verdict for his upcoming first-degree murder trial.

"The community that this incident happen in (sic) has been demolished due to that Mr. Beale being Pro Se on his case for two years and has been hinder (sic) from contacting defense witnesses for his defense and gathering information to present a proper defense so he can have a fair trial," Beale reflected.

"The defendant has met with Dr. Ramanda Simonic, psychologist from Community Solutions who performed a psychological evaluation. Mr. Beale was diagnosed with Batter Spouse Syndrome, which is a form of PTSD due to all the years of domestic violence abuse from the victim in this case and has agreed to seek counseling."

Beale's next pretrial hearing in Courtroom 402 is set for Feb. 2.