Colin Nutter's parents walked into Lake County Court still seeking justice nearly four years after their 20-year-old son was shot and killed inside his car. Prosecutors say Nutter was killed after meeting with Benjamin Schenk, Michael Coffee and Philip Vatamaniuc in Highwood to sell them marijuana.
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His body was found dumped by the side of a frontage road in Wilmette by a girl walking a dog. And while all three men were charged with first degree murder, Vatamaniuc's case is the first - and possibly the only one - to come to trial.
During opening statements, Assistant State's Attorney Reginald Matthews called the killing "an ambush of extreme cowardice" while pegging the actual shooting on Vatamaniuc - who was 17 at the time.
But Vatamaniuc's defense attorney rejects that notion and insists his client's biggest crime was "hanging around with this group."
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He said Schenk - who pled guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence - has made jailhouse statements that he did the killing, but would place it on Vatamaniuc during trial.
First to testify on Monday was Samantha de la Cruz, the now-woman who found Nutter's body the evening of June 3, 2013. More significant was the testimony of Francisco Martinez - a friend of the accused who threw a party at his home in the days before the murder. It was his father's gun, taken without permission,that was used to commit the murder.
Schenk - who pleaded guilty - is expected to testify at some point during Vatamaniuc's trial. Despite his plea, he's expected to serve at least a 20-year sentence. Michael Coffee has been declared unfit for trial and is currently being held at a mental health facility for further evaluation.