Grand Jury Indicts Daley Nephew In 2004 Death Of David Koschmann

By Chuck Sudo in News on Dec 3, 2012 9:40PM

A Cook County grand jury indicted Daley family member Richard “RJ” Vanecko Monday in involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from the 2004 death of David Koschman. Koschman died from injuries sustained by a punch from Vanecko, but Chicago police and the Cook County State’s Attorney office, first under Dick Devine and later Anita Alvarez, never charged Vanecko while Richard M. Daley was mayor.

Cook County Circuit Court judge Michael P. Toomin appointed attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor in the Koschman case in April. Webb convened the grand jury, which found Vanecko, "through the use of physical force, and without lawful justification, recklessly performed acts which were likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another, and such acts caused the death of David Koschman."

Vanecko, who lives in California, will be in Chicago Dec. 10 to be arraigned on the charges at the Cook County Court building at 26th and California. Bond has been set at $100,000. An email from Webb’s law firm Winston & Strawn said there would be no further comment, as the grand jury’s investigation was ongoing.

When Toomin appointed Webb, he made it clear he wanted the investigation to move beyond Vanecko. Chicago inspector General Joseph Ferguson has been vigorously investigating the handling of the Koschman case. Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez had been throwing serious shade at Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard's separate investigation prior to Toomin's appointment of Webb.

We've included the indictment and Webb's statement below.

Cook County Special Grand Jury Indictment Against Richard Vanceko

Special Prosecutors Press Release