Second Defendant In Joliet Double Murder Waives Right To Jury Trial

By Chuck Sudo in News on Sep 22, 2014 8:30PM

Joshua Miner, one of four people charged in the grisly murders of Terrance Rankins and Eric Glover in Joliet last year, has requested a bench trial, putting his fate in the hands of Will County Judge Gerald Kinney instead of a jury.

Miner’s attorney, Michael Renzi, said his client had been favoring a bench trial since last week. The trial is expected to begin Tuesday with opening statements from the prosecution and defense. Because Miner waived his right to a jury, the trial could be concluded by next week.

Miner was charged along with Alisa Massaro, Bethany McKee and Adam Landerman in the January 2013 murders of Glover and Rankins. McKee and Massaro are alleged to have lured the two back to Massaro’s home to party. When Rankins and Glover arrived, the women left the room for Landerman and Miner to kill the two men. When police arrived at the scene, they found three of the suspects still playing video games, the bodies of Glover and Rankins face-down with plastic bags covering their heads. Police also reported Miner and Massaro had sex on top of the dead bodies. There were also alleged plans to dismember the bodies and keep the teeth of Glover and Rankins as trophies.

Massaro pleaded guilty to lesser charges in May and testified against McKee in her trial. McKee was convicted last month during a bench trial and could face a mandatory term of life in prison when she’s sentenced next month. Massaro is also expected to testify against Miner and Landeman, who will be in court for a hearing Thursday.

Kinney is expected to rule on a request from prosecutors that Miner be shackled during his trial. Miner is believed to be the mastermind behind the plot to kill Glover and Rankins and was found smoking a cigarette at the scene when police arrived.