Woman Gets Out Of Hickory St. Nightmare Murder Trial Jury Duty By Telling Judge She Was Also Charged With 1st-Degree Murder

A Bolingbrook woman avoided sitting on the jury for the final Nightmare on Hickory Street murder trial by claiming she also once faced a charge of first-degree murder.

During jury selection for 21-year-old Adam Landerman’s murder trial, Ersalene Edwards told Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak she wasn’t interested in participating.

“I wouldn’t want to be a juror on this man’s case,” Edwards said.

Edwards, 70, admitted she knew nothing at all about the grisly Nightmare on Hickory Street murders but explained she wanted nothing to do with the trial because at one time she found herself in a similar situation to Landerman.

“I was once charged with first-degree murder,” said the retired factory worker.

After her startling proclamation, Edwards, who said she enjoys sleeping and taking care of her husband, was excused from the case.

Edwards later said she was charged with murder more than 30 years ago but “didn’t even have to go to trial.” She was reluctant to discuss the matter further.

Nine women and three men were chosen to serve on Landerman’s jury. Two men and two women were selected as alternate jurors.

Landerman faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted of the murders of 22-year-olds Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover. Two of his co-defendants, Bethany McKee, 20 and Josh Miner, 26, have already been found guilty and are serving life sentences.

A third co-defendant, 21-year-old Alisa Massaro, wriggled her way out of the murder case last year by copping a plea to reduced charges of robbery and concealing homicides. Massaro was sentenced to five years in prison but will be released within four years of striking her deal.

According to prosecutors, Landerman, who is the son of Joliet police Sgt. Julie Larson, and his three friends hatched a plot to rob Rankins and Glover. During the attack on the two men, Landerman and Miner allegedly choked them to death.

In an exclusive prison interview with Patch, Miner claimed the real reason he killed Rankins and Landerman strangled Glover was that the two men refused to leave Massaro’s home and a fight broke out. Miner said he ordered Rankins and Glover to go because he felt slighted.