The Woodlawn Cemetery Murder Revisited 1 Year Later

JOLIET, IL — On Nov. 17, 2021, College Park subdivision resident Timothy Bokholdt was fatally stabbed inside his Joliet house on Natoma Court and nearly a month passed before Joliet police detectives discovered the missing man's body — dumped in the back of Woodlawn Cemetery.

On Dec. 9, Joliet police booked Bokholdt's nephew, Anthony Harames, into the Will County Jail on charges of first-degree murder. Joliet Patch reported at the time that Harames gave detectives a confession and led them to his missing uncle's body at the Woodlawn Cemetery along West Jefferson Street.

But these days, Harames is no longer inside Will County's Jail. His murder case is not proceeding toward trial, either.

Last March, Will County Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy ruled that Harames, now 32, was unfit to stand trial at the Will County Courthouse. On April 25, Harames refused to leave his jail cell to attend his pretrial hearing in Courtroom 405 of Will County Judge Dave Carlson.

By July 25, Will County authorities had successfully placed Harames into an undisclosed mental health treatment facility operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

While Harames remains at an Illinois treatment facility four months later, Will County's presiding trial court judge, Dave Carlson, and lawyers in the case are supposed to receive regular updates on the Joliet murder defendant's ongoing mental health condition.

A progress report was provided to Carlson on Aug. 2 and the report remains under seal, court files show. Another progress report was provided Nov. 1, and the judge ruled that Harames still remains unfit to stand trial on murder charges here in Will County.

The next status report on Harames' mental fitness is set for Jan. 4 in Judge Carlson's Courtroom 405.

Until Harames is deemed mentally fit by the judge, he will never stand trial on his first-degree murder charges.

Here is a recap of the key events in the Natoma Court homicide:

Around Nov. 17, 2021, the 53-year-old uncle of Harames died from a stabbing inside his house in the 900 block of Natoma Court.

Nov. 22, 2021, the uncle's slain body was removed from his home on Natoma Court and driven to Woodlawn Cemetery. The body was dumped in the back of Woodlawn's property and left there. None of the maintenance staff employees at Woodlawn had any idea that a homicide victim's body had been put on their property for the next two-plus weeks.

Dec. 8, 2021: Around 3:35 p.m., Joliet police were called to the Natoma Court house owned by Timothy Bokholdt for a domestic disturbance. Harames had shoved and pushed his ex-girlfriend and demanded she leave, police said. Members of the Joliet Police Special Operations Squad and Crisis Negotiation Team spoke with Harames for nearly six hours, at which time Harames peacefully left the house and was taken into custody.

Joliet police learned that Harames' uncle had been missing for several weeks.

Dec. 9, 2021: During a daytime search, Harames led Joliet police detectives to the body of his missing uncle on the property of the sprawling Woodlawn Cemetery.

Dec. 10, 2021: The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow charged Harames with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of concealment of a homicide and one count of being a felon in possession of a weapon. The criminal complaint stated that Harames cut Timothy Bokholdt with a knife, thereby causing the death.

The concealment of homicidal death charge states that Harames "moved Timothy Bokholdt's body from 906 Natoma Court, Joliet, and put Timothy Bokholdt's body in a wooded area in Joliet."

The unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon charge alleges Harames knowingly possessed a dangerous knife, and he possessed it with the intent "to use the same against another, Timothy Bokholdt."

March 3, 2022: Judge Daniel Kennedy's ruling states: "both parties stipulate that if called to testify, Dr. Alyssa Bell would testify consistent with the facts, opinions and conclusions outlined in her report dated March 2, 2022 ... The court orders that: the defendant is unfit to stand trial. That there is a substantial probability that the defendant can be restored to fitness within one year. That the defendant is remanded to the Department of Human Services on an inpatient basis."

Related Patch coverage:

• Is Joliet Murder Defendant Anthony Harames Fit To Stand Trial?
• Joliet Killer Dumps Uncle's Body In Woodlawn Cemetery: Police
• Joliet Killer Waited 5 Days To Move Body To Cemetery: Prosecutors