Joliet's Murder House In College Park Needs Visit: Lawyer

JOLIET, IL —Now that his mental competency has been restored, thanks to the staff at the Elgin psychiatric hospital, Joliet first-degree murder defendant Anthony "Tony" Harames is forging ahead with his defense. He replaced the Will County Public Defender's Office with a private law firm in Joliet. That firm now wants to inspect the house on Natoma Court where 53-year-old Timothy Bokholdt was apparently stabbed to death by his nephew.

After killing his uncle, Harames loaded up his uncle's body inside a vehicle and drove to the Woodlawn Cemetery along West Jefferson Street, and he disposed of his uncle's body in the back of the cemetery in November 2021, according to Joliet police.

A month later, Harames engaged in a standoff with Joliet police that lasted several hours into the night, inside his missing uncle's house in the College Park subdivision. The next day, according to Joliet police, Harames led the detectives to the hiding spot where he put his uncle's slain body, at the Woodlawn Cemetery.

Harames has remained in custody ever since, facing first-degree murder charges in Will County.

Recently, Joliet private practice criminal defense lawyer Eric Mitchell of Mitchell Legal Solutions entered his appearance as Harames' new lawyer.

Mitchell also filed a motion, asking that a Will County judge grant him permission to visit the murder house on Natoma Court.

According to Mitchell's motion:

"The state's evidence purports that a criminal act resulting in the death of the alleged victim occurred at 906 Natoma Court in Joliet ... The defendant is in custody and does not have access to this personal address, and it is believed that this personal residence may have previously been owned by the deceased.

"The evidence received by the defendant's counsel to date, does not include any photographs, diagrams or layouts of the residence where the purported criminal act occurred," Mitchell's motion detailed.

Mitchell informed the judge that "obtaining this evidence will assist in ensuring the defendant's case receives fair and proper trial preparation."

Mitchell's motion seeks the judge's permission "to determine the lawful owner of this residence and to coordinate defendant's counsel and investigator to enter the residence and obtain photographs and or video footage."

The motion ends with the following sentence, "the defendant, Anthony Harames, respectfully requests this honorable court enter an order allowing defendant's counsel access to a private residence and alleged crime scene."

As for Harames, he remains in the Will County Jail. Earlier this year, Will County Judge Sarah Jones agreed to lower his bail to $4 million. Originally, Will County Associate Judge Fred Harvey set it $5,150,000.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Bail Lowered For Joliet Murder Defendant By Judge Sarah Jones

Joliet Killer Waited 5 Days To Move Body To Cemetery: Prosecutors

Woodlawn Cemetery Murder Revisited 1 Year Later

Is Joliet Murder Defendant Anthony Harames Fit To Stand Trial?

Joliet Killer Dumps Uncle's Body In Woodlawn Cemetery: Police