No More Murder Charges In Laundry Room Killing In Joliet

JOLIET, IL —William Paschall, the 71-year-old Salem Village resident who Joliet police said was responsible for ending the life of 61-year-old resident Michael Pappas on Nov. 17 in their sixth floor laundry room, will no longer face first-degree murder charges, Joliet Patch has learned.

Instead, a Will County grand jury returned a two count indictment for Paschall, who is now being charged with two counts of aggravated battery. The new criminal complaint, filed Thursday, indicates that on Nov. 17, Paschall caused bodily harm to Michael Pappas knowing Michael Pappas to be a person 60 years of age "in that said defendant punched and struck Michael Pappas."

Meanwhile, on Friday, Will County Judge Dave Carlson ruled that Paschall will remain inside the Will County Jail indefinitely as he awaits his eventual trial on his new aggravated battery charges.

According to court documents filed in November at the courthouse:

Around 9 p.m., Paschall entered the laundry room on the sixth floor in his wheelchair and saw what he believed he was human feces on the washing machine. He questioned whether Pappas planned to clean it up.

The commotion drew the attention of the nursing home staff, but when one employee tried to keep the two men separated, Paschall got out of his wheelchair and yanked Pappas' arm, pulling Pappas toward him, punching Pappas in the head four or five times, court documents show.

After Paschall's punches knocked Pappas to the floor, Paschall grabbed the victim's walker and continued to strike him in the head and across his head, according to prosecutors.

Staff at Salem Village told Joliet police that Pappas and Paschall had not had any prior issues before Friday night's killing. Pappas had lived at Salem Village for the past seven years, while Paschall began living there in 2022.

"The victim was described as a quiet man who was very calm and respectful to staff," prosecutors told the judge in November. "The defendant was described by staff as a 'time bomb' and routinely argued with other residents in the home."