Harrah's Hotel Murder Trial Nears: Judge Carlson Makes Decision

JOLIET, IL — March will mark four years since the gruesome Joliet Harrah's Casino slaying of 76-year-old hotel guest Sam Burgarino, and with the jury trial of first-degree murder defendant Robert Watson barely two weeks away, Will County Public Defender Shenonda Tisdale filed a motion Friday afternoon asking the judge for another delay.

"The defendant requests a continuance in order to have another sanity evaluation completed," Tisdale wrote in Friday's motion for a continuance. Tisdale noted that "defense counsel still believes the defendant is unable to assist in his own defense ... one viable defense of sanity remains, and defense counsel would at least like the opportunity to exhaust all measures in pursuit of it."

Will County Judge Dave Carlson rejected the public defender's motion on Monday. Watson's trial remains on the docket for Feb. 6.

Joliet Patch has previously reported that downtown Joliet's March 24, 2019, murder of the Wisconsin senior citizen was captured on the casino's video surveillance cameras.

The 76-year-old gambler suffered a total of 26 stab wounds after he returned from the main casino to his hotel room on the fifth floor. According to court testimony, Watson approached Burgarino at his guest room and demanded, "Give me your money!"

Moments before being stabbed more than two dozen times, the elderly man from Wisconsin responded, "Be cool, it's OK. I'll give you my money."

Watson, a transient who had lived in several states all across the country, had been lurking around Joliet's Harrah's casino all that weekend, including the hotel lobby, the outside perimeter of the casino and inside the parking garages, according to court records.

Even though Watson was not gambling at the casino, and he was not staying at the Harrah's hotel, the casino's security staff and employees ignored Watson, according to a multi-million dollar federal lawsuit brought forward by Burgarino's survivors.

In November, the negligence lawsuit against Caesar's Entertainment and Harrah's Joliet reached a confidential out-of-court settlement.

Joliet Patch previously reported that plaintiff Denise Dixon and two different law firms representing her asked for a judgment in excess of $5 million, plus at least another $1 million for actual and punitive damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

One day after Burgarino's homicide, Joliet police captured Watson hiding out at the downtown Joliet Public Library on Ottawa Street.

Now 29 years old, Watson has remained in the Will County Jail since March 25, 2019. His bail remains $5 million.

According to Tisdale's attempt to postpone Watson's Feb. 6 jury trial:

• Watson has had two mental health fitness hearings, and he has been found fit to stand trial on both occasions.
• Watson has been evaluated by court-appointed psychologist, Dr. Anna Stapleton, for sanity and while the official report has not been prepared, "it has been relayed to defense counsel that she is not able to reach an opinion."
• Watson was evaluated for sanity by a privately retained psychiatrist, Dr. Monica Argumedo, who opined that Watson "remains so unfit to stand trial that he is unable to cooperate with the evaluation process and therefore she was not able to render an opinion."

• Watson "is represented by the public defender's office and could now benefit from a new sanity evaluation completed by a new doctor who has never participated in his matter on any occasion."

Last April, Watson appeared before Judge Carlson for a pretrial hearing, claiming someone keeps trying to poison the food he gets served in the Will County Jail.

"Is there anything I can do about the food that has been served?" Watson asked.

"Why?" Carlson asked.

Watson told Carlson he's positive he is being poisoned.

"I know it has the smell of sex," Watson declared. "It's an unusual odor and smell."

"Of sex?" Carlson repeated.

"It's sex," Watson insisted. "It's a distinct odor."

"So, you think the jail is poisoning your food?" Carlson inquired. "And the evidence is the smell of sex?"

"I think they work for the city," Watson replied. "I don't know who to tell, the court or the jail. Often, my food tastes like sexual intercourse, sperm, hair, feces. There's sperm in my food.

"I know they're lying," Watson told the judge. "They covered it up and make me like the bad person."

Related Patch coverage:

Harrah's Murder Defendant Says Jail Food Poisoned

Is Harrah's Murder Defendant Robert Watson Faking Mental Illness?

Harrah's Casino Slaying: Wisconsin Victim's Family Sues

Murdered Harrah's Casino Hotel Guest Stabbed 26 Times