Crime & Safety
Naperville 'Craigslist Murder' Conviction Upheld By Appeals Court
Grant Van Muren was convicted of strangling his roommate, turning on an oven, and putting their rental agreement in a toaster in 2014.
NAPERVILLE, IL -- An appeals court ruled Thursday that a 26-year-old man was not acting in self-defense when he hit his Naperville rommate with a small table and strangled him to death in 2014. Grant Van Muren was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for fatally strangling Charles Clarke, 55, whom he met on Craigslist, and then attempting to burn down their townhouse by turning on a gas oven and setting their lease on fire in a toaster.
Van Muren later appealed his conviction, contending that the State of Illinois had not disproved his claim that he acted in self-defense. He also argued that he was not proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt for the charges of arson and aggravated arson that were lodged against him in connection with Clarke's murder.
Charles Clarke was found dead inside of his home on Jan. 22, 2014. Police said they smelled natural gas upon entering Clarke's apartment.
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An investigation led police to discover that Van Muren had hit Clarke with a small table and strangled him after they got into an argument. Before fleeing the scene, Van Muren turned on an oven and shoved their lease agreement into a toaster, authorities say.
The appellate court ruled that Van Muren "has not convinced us that his decision to strike the victim from behind with a table was reasonable under the totality of the circumstances."
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They added that Van Muren's argument that he was not proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt was "wholly unpersuasive."
After the ruling, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said, "With the final chapter of this terrible case now written, it is my sincerest hope that Charles’ family and friends will be able to move on with their lives knowing that Grant Muren will pay a significant price for the murder of Charles Clarke."
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