Grand Jury Looking For Video Of Koschman Incident

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 6, 2012 8:20PM

The grand jury investigating the 2004 death of David Koschman has issued subpoenas to some of the more popular watering holes along the Division and Rush nightlife area in the hopes that video still exists of the altercation where Daley relative Richard “RJ” Vanecko threw the punch that ultimately killed Koschman.

The Sun-Times, which has been all over the Koschman story since it broke in March, has the details. Butch McGuire’s, Mother’s and The Lodge were named in the article as being among the bars subpoenaed for video camera footage and credit card receipts from the time of the April 5, 2004 incident when Vaneko punched Koschman and fled the scene with a friend in a cab. Dan Benson, human resources administrator for The Lodge Management Group which manages Mother’s and The Lodge, confirmed to the Sun-Times they received a subpoena. Benson wouldn’t confirm whether the company turned over anything to the grand jury. A manager at Butch McGuire’s told the Sun-Times they didn’t have video surveillance in 2004.

The Sun-Times couldn’t confirm if the grand jury was able to obtain video of the incident but does ask where it’s been the past eight years if they were. Former prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed special prosecutor into the Koschman case by Cook County Judge Michael Toomin, empaneled the grand jury last month to obtain information related to the case and the handling of it by Chicago Police and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. According to Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed Webb has the grand jury sequestered at the law offices of Winston & Strawn (where Webb is firm chairman) instead of the Criminal Courts building, where they may fall under the withering gaze of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.