Criminal Charges Dropped Against Crest Hill's Joshua Gessing

JOLIET, IL — Joshua "Josh" Gessing, the 25-year-old son of missing Crest Hill resident Wendy Gessing, had his criminal charges dismissed by the Will County State's Attorney's Office, spokeswoman Carole Cheney confirmed for Joliet Patch on Wednesday.

Josh Gessing spent four days in the Will County Jail in connection with allegations he attacked a 44-year-old male relative late Friday night at a house on Joliet's west side. Gessing was released from detention late Tuesday afternoon after learning his charges were dropped.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office did not say why the case is not being prosecuted at the Will County Courthouse.

During a short phone interview Wednesday, Josh Gessing told Joliet Patch he was the victim of a wrongful arrest by the Joliet Police Department.

"It was a wrongful arrest," he said. "I was the victim, and he was the aggressor."

Last Friday night, Joliet police officers arrested Josh Gessing on charges of aggravated domestic battery causing great bodily harm.

On Tuesday, Crest Hill police chief Ed Clark told Joliet Patch that "we are aware of" Josh Gessing's arrest. However, since that's a Joliet police investigation, Crest Hill's chief said he did not want to comment on that particular case.

Clark went on to say that "he's not a suspect at this time," in reference to his mother's June 12 disappearance.

At no point since Wendy Gessing's disappearance have the Crest Hill police announced that the missing 50-year-old woman may have been the victim of foul play.

According to the Joliet police, officers were called to a house in the 1500 block of Burry Street shortly after 10 p.m. on Friday for a disturbance.

In the backyard, Joliet police found a man on the ground with serious injuries to his face and Gessing was standing over him, according to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English.

Gessing and the other man were taken by ambulance to the nearby AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.