Victim's Blood, DNA Ties Harrah's Transient To Murder: Prosecution

JOLIET, IL — A Will County jury learned Friday morning that Joliet Harrah's Casino transient Robert Watson's Air Jordan gym shoes contained the blood of murder victim Sam Burgarino.

The jury also learned that a pair of latex gloves Watson had removed from a cart kept inside a Harrah's Casino stairwell several hours before the gruesome murder also contained the blood DNA of Burgarino.

In addition, Watson's pocket knife contained the blood DNA of Burgarino, and one of Watson's black-hooded sweatshirts contained the DNA of Burgarino, the jury heard.

The blood-stained Air Jordan gym shoes of Watson were taken from him at the Joliet police station, one day after the Harrah's hotel slaying. The shoes also contained Watson's DNA, the jury was told. As for the folding knife that belonged to Watson, Burgarino's DNA was found on at least two different locations, the blade and the handle, according to Friday's trial testimony.

At 12:30 p.m., Friday, Joliet police detective Brad McKeon returned to the witness stand to testify that at the time of Watson's arrest, Watson had a can of pepper spray in his possession. McKeon showed the jury the pepper spray, manufactured by the company, Mace.

Watson had stashed the knife, his clothes and the bloody latex gloves in a large bush about two blocks north of Harrah's Casino, at the Joliet Housing Authority property at 311 N. Ottawa St., according to Thursday's trial testimony.

On Friday, the Illinois State Police DNA analyst told the courtroom that she analyzed numerous items of evidence collected by Joliet police from the fatal stabbing of the 76-year-old Wisconsin sports bar owner.

Burgarino and his girlfriend of nine years, Denise Dixon, drove to Joliet from their Milwaukee suburb to spend a three-day weekend together at the casino, four years ago.

On Sunday night, March 24, 2019, Burgarino was stabbed in the hallway of his fifth floor hotel where he and his girlfriend were staying.

Another hotel guest, Glen Hill, testified earlier this week that he was absolutely certain that Watson was the same man he saw attacking Burgarino in the casino hallway four years ago.

Watson is being defended by three Will County Public's Defenders. His lead counsel, Shenonda Tisdale, has put forth an insanity defense for her client.

Earlier this week, before the trial started, Watson announced in open court that he disagreed with the insanity strategy, saying it was setting him up for failure.

"For lack of better words, I did not kill the man at the casino," Watson declared in court this week. "I did not kill the man at the casino," Watson repeated.

Also, Friday morning, a forensic pathologist who has performed roughly 5,000 autopsies during her career testified that Burgarino died from multiple stab wounds. The Harrah's homicide victim suffered stab wounds to his head, his neck and chest. The knife pierced his heart, both lungs and his liver, as well as several blood vessels.

At 12:32 p.m., Judge Dave Carlson dismissed the jury for the day. The jury was told to return to the courthouse at 9:30 a.m. Monday.