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Kelli O'laughlin

Friday, August 17, 2012

Joy: Bands to Perform at LT This Saturday for O'Laughlin Memorial Concert

A memorial concert in honor of Kelli O'Laughlin will be held at Lyons Township High School on Aug. 18 in the Reber Center Auditorium at North Campus.

Lyons Township High School's North Campus will be alive with the sound of music this Saturday as community members, LT students and friends of Kelli O'Laughlin come together to honor her memory with a musical celebration aptly named, Joy. The concert memorial will feature musical performances by LT students and local bands and proceeds from the show will be donated the Kelli O'Laughlin Memorial Fund. The concert is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Reber Center Auditorium located at LT's North Campus, 100 S. Brainard Ave., in the schools main building. Tickets to the concert will cost $5 and friends of O'Laughlin will also be selling wristbands, raffle tickets, and t-shirt to raise money. Doors will open for the event at 6:15 p.m. …

Friday, July 6, 2012

Auditions Held Tonight for Kelli O'Laughlin Memorial Fund Benefit Concert

Grab your gear: auditions are being held tonight at 6 p.m. at Lyons Township High School's South Campus in Western Springs.

Want to rock out at a benefit concert to raise donations for the Kelli O'Laughlin Memorial Fund? Grab your gear and head to Lyons Township High School's South Campus Friday, July 6 at 6 p.m. Auditions are open to LT students headed into their sophomore year through the graduating class of 2012. Students are asked to come prepared with one song that they would like to perform at a benefit concert for the Kelli O'Laughlin Memorial Fund on August 18. The concert will feature a variety of performers and will be held at LT's North Campus in the Reber Center Auditorium beginning at 7 p.m. All proceeds from ticket, t-shirt, wristband and raffle sales will go toward the Kelli Joy O'Laughlin Fund. Kelli O'Laughlin, 14, was killed in her home after …

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Car Wash Fundraiser for Kelli O'Laughlin Fills Fire Station

Dozens of friends of the slain LT student hosed down cars (and each other) for the KJO Memorial Fund at Pleasantview Fire Station in La Grange Highlands on Saturday.

The car-wash fundraiser is a summer staple of American suburbia. But how often do the kids involved get to use fire hoses? Or wash down a full-sized fire engine in addition to the parade of minivans and sedans? It all happened at an event held at the Pleasantview Fire Station in La Grange Highlands on Saturday morning, where over 40 friends and classmates of young Indian Head Park murder victim Kelli O’Laughlin’s memorial fund co-opted the engine bay for use as a drive-through car was, charging $5 a car and using the station’s own hoses to provide a thorough cleansing of locals’ vehicles. Mariah Walsh and Macy Tabachka, friends of Kelli’s, organized the event and said the Pleasantview Department was “super nice” about lending them the bay …

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Status Update: Case Against John L. Wilson Continued

The man accused of murdering 14-year-old Lyons Township freshman Kelli O'Laughlin appeared in court Wednesday morning.

The man charged in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old Lyons Township freshman from Indian Head Park made a brief appearance in court today. Police say John L. Wilson stabbed Kelli O'Laughlin to death after she came home from school and interrupted him while he was burglarizing the house. The case is still in the discovery phase, while Wilson's new attorney awaits for documents to be delivered from the state. Wilson only met his new attorney, public defender David McMahon last month. In May, Wilson dismissed his first defense team, Naperville-based John Carroll and Chicago-based Michelle Gonzalez, which was defending him pro bono. Wilson has been found mentally fit to stand trial for the 31 felony counts against him, including …

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Wilson's New Attorney: Client's Location 'A Problem'

The public defender assigned to represent the man accused of murdering 14-year-old Lyons Township teen Kelli O'Laughlin said that having his client nearly 100 miles away could pose a problem.

The public defender assigned to represent John L. Wilson, the man charged with stabbing 14-year-old Lyons Township teen Kelli O'Laughlin to death in her own home, met his client today for the first time. On May 15, Wilson dismissed his attorneys, Naperville-based John Paul Carroll and co-counsel Michelle Gonzalez, and asked to represent himself. It was a move that surprised even Carroll. "It's insane for a person not to have an attorney," Carroll told Patch after the May 15 hearing. "That's like asking me to rebuild my own car engine." The judge asked Wilson at the time if he wanted some time to think about his decision. "I think you need to think hard and fast. These are serious matters. I believe there is forensic evidence in this case. …

Monday, May 14, 2012

Accused O'Laughlin Killer Requests to Represent Himself, Found Fit for Trial

John L. Wilson has been indicted on 31 felony charges and faces life in prison for the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Lyons Township freshman Kelli O'Laughlin.

The man charged with the murder of an Indian Head Park teen is requesting to represent himself at trial. The attorney who had been representing him, Naperville-based John Paul Carroll is facing *disciplinary action and a possible 90-day suspension for two unrelated cases. John L. Wilson is charged with murdering 14-year-old Kelli O'Laughlin, a freshman at Lyons Township High School, after she came home from school and walked in on him burglarizing her house last October. Carroll had agreed to continue to represent Wilson through any disciplinary proceedings, because the potential disciplinary action did not disqualify him from doing so. Judge John Joseph Hynes asked Wilson today if he wanted to continue to be represented by Carroll and co-…

LOUISE RENTZ

11:27 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Thanks for the update! That's good to know.   more ›

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Kelli Joy Peace Garden Dedicated at Highlands

District 106 held an indoor and outdoor ceremony to open a new memorial outside Highlands Middle School to their tragically slain young alumna.

Long live the walls we crashed through/all the kingdom lights shined just for me and you/I was screaming, long live all the magic we made/And bring on all the pretenders, one day we will be remembered... So sang the Highlands Middle School show choir on Wednesday, performing Taylor Swift’s “Long Live” as they dedicated a new “peace garden” in front of the school memorializing Kelli Joy O’Laughlin, a 2011 Highlands graduate who was killed in her Indian Head Park home in October. The garden consists of a granite bench, a Jane magnolia tree and a stone with a plaque bearing Kelli’s name. On Wednesday, the tree was decorated in ribbons bearing the names of the Highlands Middle School Class of 2011—so Kelli could be “surrounded by her …

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Sandy Kaczmarski

1:49 pm on Monday, May 14, 2012

The plaque was back in place before classes this morning according to Ken Hoffling in buildings and grounds. It was removed briefly for adjustments and is now permanently installed at the peace garden.   more ›

Monday, April 23, 2012

IHP Murder Defendant Refused to Cooperate with Mental Exam

Although John L. Wilson has twice proven impossible to examine, he did show new signs of comprehension in court on Monday.

The man accused of the October 2011 murder of 14-year-old Indian Head Park resident Kelli O’Laughlin has twice failed to cooperate with a mental-health examination by Cook County Forensic Clinical Services, prosecutors said in Cook County 5th District court on Monday. Attempts were made to examine John L. Wilson on April 17 and 20, both unsuccessful. Exam administers asked for an extension to try again, which Associate Judge John J. Hynes has granted. Hynes once again remanded Wilson to the Cook County Department of Corrections for a third exam later this week and issued a warning that future lack of cooperation would automatically invalidate any type of insanity defense. In contrast to his last court appearance, Wilson generally …

Seymour Buttz

1:07 pm on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Where is the ire from Jesse Jacka$$, Sharpton, and their ilk? This career criminal is a punk. Let the neighborhood take care of him.   more ›

Thursday, April 5, 2012

O'Laughlin Family: We Won't Forget Your Kindness

The O'Laughlin family writes a letter of thanks to everyone who pulled together to support them and the memory of their daughter, Kelli.

Thank You. Two small words, but they mean so much to us. Since our beautiful girl with the radiant, contagious smile was taken from us last fall, people have astounded us with their thoughtfulness and generosity in Kelli’s name. Kelli’s name is, in fact, now inextricably linked with those willing to help others in some way. It is fitting that so many people—of all ages, literally all over the world—have come together to not only support our family, but to raise funds so that others many benefit. After all, our Kelli Joy was always helping others, whether teaching and playing with children, giving her time and talent to schools, teams and clubs or simply asking someone sitting alone at a nearby lunch table to come join her and her friends. …

Matthew Hendrickson

12:52 pm on Friday, April 6, 2012

Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Joyce and goirish.   more ›

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

On O'Laughlin Birthday, Community Celebrates Her Life

On the day when Kelli Joy would have turned 15, the Lyons Township and Indian Head Park community gathered in Sacajawea Park to honor her.

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