Joliet Murder Trial Underway In Slaying Of Young Mother

JOLIET, IL — While many of Joliet's murder defendants prefer to wait five, six, sometimes even seven years before taking their case to trial, that is not the case this week for 47-year-old Bolingbrook resident Jermaine Mandley, who's charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 7 shooting death on Joliet's west side of Maya Smith, age 24.

Monday marked jury selection and Tuesday saw the first day of witness testimony in Courtroom 405 of Will County Judge Dave Carlson. Mandley is being represented by the Will County Public Defender's Office.

According to the Will County State's Attorney's Office, Mandley is charged with killing Smith, a woman he had a dating relationship. Prosecutors say Mandley received a ride from Smith to the home of an acquaintance, and shot Smith multiple times upon exiting her car, causing her death.

The homicide happened on Joliet's west side in an alley along Clement Street.

In June 2022, Mandley was the focus of an aggravated domestic battery complaint investigated by Channahon's Police Department, in which Smith was also the victim.

Channahon Police Sgt. Paul Potts interviewed Smith in that case.

Potts responded to the 25000 block of South Ascot Street on June 13, 2022, trying to do a follow-up welfare check relating to an incident from nine to 10 hours earlier, in which Channahon police were called, and the people inside refused to open the door, court documents reflect.

Sgt. Potts encountered Maya Smith, who had a busted lip, chipped tooth, broken fingernails and minors cuts and abrasions, and she agreed to return to the Channahon Police Station.

"Maya stated that Jermaine Mandley had tried to throw her in the trunk of his car the previous evening. Maya stated that he punched her two to three times and held her throat so she couldn't breathe," court records noted. "He then closed her inside of the garage. Maya stated that police arrived but that Mandley told them that they were fine and threatened Maya to not move and to be quiet.

"Two days later, Maya went to the Channahon Police Department and stated that she did not want to pursue charges."

According to the Channahon police report, Maya Smith visited the Channahon police station on June 15, 2022, seeking to meet with a detective.

Detective Sgt. Matt Brooks met with her and "Maya was asked ... why she wanted to drop the charges at which time Maya stated that after a few days of thinking about it, she feels like the story she gave was 'choppy' and she didn't give the 'full story,'" the police report stated.

When Brooks asked her to explain the full story, Smith claimed "they were both intoxicated and she provoked Jermaine Mandley. Maya then paused for a moment and stated that she just doesn't want to go to court and wants to drop the case," the Channhon detective wrote.

Brooks discussed the fact that her teeth were damaged "and Maya replied by stating, 'I understand but I'm not threatened by him.'"

The Channahon police report indicated that Brooks explained to Maya Smith that it was important to take care of herself and that domestic violence laws were in place to protect her and other victims. Finally, Brooks noted that he again asked her if she was sure she did not want to participate in the aggravated domestic battery investigation after considering the facts of the report, "to which Maya replied by stating she didn't want to participate."

A criminal complaint, submitted two days earlier, on June 13, 2022, in Grundy County by Channahon Police Sgt. Potts, stated that Mandley committed the crime of aggravated domestic battery in that "he knowingly caused great bodily harm to Maya A. Smith, chipping a front tooth while striking Maya A. Smith, and held Maya by the throat to the point that she couldn't breathe."

Potts also submitted a complaint on June 13, 2022, accusing Mandley of unlawful restraint. "He knowingly ... detained Maya A. Smith physically preventing her freedom of movement and threatened to hit her if she made a move and took her cell phone preventing her from calling police."

The Channahon police report from June 2022 indicated that Smith and Mandley were dating, and the length of their relationship was three months at that time. A former Joliet resident, Smith lived in Channahon at the time.

Meanwhile, prosecutors also pointed out that a witness in the case whose house was visited by Mandley immediately after the murder, told Joliet police Mandley "admitted to him in the past that he almost put her in the trunk and almost trunked her ass," which prosecutors argue are admissions for the Channahon offense.

After the murder, Joliet police detective Jeff German obtained the phone of Mandley and "there is a listed name and phone number for 'Wifey' with a phone number of ... there are messages between the two phones taking place around the date of the incident as well as prior history between the two phones.

"Additionally, there are several other messages and phone call records which the State will seek to admit with respect to Jermaine Mandley's phone," prosecutors outlined. "The state will present testimony and evidence that the number for 'Wifey' is the same phone number for Maya Smith ... the State will present evidence that this cell phone was seized during the traffic stop of Jermaine Mandley."