Witnesses Place Wilson Near O'Laughlin Home

Caption: Willow Springs police booking photo for John Wilson Jr., 41, the accused killer of Kelli O’Laughlin, 14, who was found stabbed to death in her Indian Head Park home in October 2011.

Five witnesses took the stand in the Kelli O’Laughlin trial on Thursday who placed a Chicago man and career criminal near the 14-year-old girl’s house on the day she was found murdered on Oct. 27, 2011.

Prosecutors say that Kelli was stabbed to death by John Wilson, Jr., 41, when she walked in on him burglarizing her Indian Head Park home.

Witnesses who testified Tuesday included:

- A 13-year-old boy, who was 11 at the time of the murder, said he saw Wilson walking toward Kelli’s house on the day she was killed, ABC 7 reported.

- A Western Springs woman testified that she was in Sacajawea Park near the O’Laughlin home when she saw Wilson climbing up the side of an embankment the day of the crime. Fox 32 News said the woman called police the next day after she had heard of the murder, and later picked Wilson out of a police lineup.

- Sgt. Ray Leuser, one of the first Indian Head Park police officers to show up at the scene, said the kitchen knife used to stab Kelli was in a different room from where her body was found. The upstairs bedrooms had also been ransacked, the officer testified, reports said.

- Jurors also heard from a Cook County Sheriff’s Police investigator who spent most of the afternoon going over the crime scene.

On the Justice for Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Facebook page, where different childhood photos of Kelli are posted on each day of testimony, supporters praised the 13-year-old boy who took the stand on Thursday.

“This boy was amazing to have such composure and to be so strong to take the stand and be questioned by the State and [then] crossed examine[d] by the defense! He should be so proud of himself on the way he conducted himself and the way he answered the questions! He saw and identified the defendant in the neighborhood!”

Earlier this week, jurors heard testimony about chilling text messages Wilson allegedly sent to the girl’s mother, Brenda O’Laughlin, from Kelli’s stolen cell phone, giving her two minutes to call him back or he’d destroy Kelli’s phone.

The trial is expected to continue into next week.

MORE TRIAL COVERAGE:

Killer’s Cruel Text: ‘She Wanted Me To Tell You Something Before I Killed Her’

After Three Years Kelli O’Laughlin’s Accused Killer Is Going To Trial