JOLIET, IL — After fatally shooting his 49-year-old mother Bernadette Quasie several times last week in her bedroom in the Plainfield area, 21-year-old Justen Holman opted to call Joliet police from Larkin Avenue and confess why he took her life, according to a petition to deny pretrial release for Joliet’s latest first-degree murder defendant.
A Will County judge has set Holman’s next hearing for Jan. 5 in Courtroom 405. Now facing three counts of first-degree murder, Holman must stay in his cell at the Will County Jail as he awaits trial. He will not be released back into society while his murder case is awaiting trial.
According to the petition filed by long-time Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Fitzgerald, the following events put Joliet police on notice that Holman had implicated himself in a homicide, and when Joliet police visited his family’s home at 6452 Langsford Lane, his mother’s lifeless body was found inside.
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“Det. Esqueda-Reed and Det. McKeon asked Defendant questions about his mother’s death, in which Defendant wished to write down what occurred,” Fitzgerald revealed. “Defendant advised that he killed his mother because he was scared for his life. Defendant related that he used the weapon that was located in the trunk of the vehicle that officers were on scene with.”
Joliet police Detective Esqueda-Reed asked Holman what kind of gun was in the trunk, and he replied it was PSA Dagger 9mm, the petition to deny pretrial release noted.
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Officers later found the gun in a backpack in the trunk, as well as a magazine for that gun in the console of the vehicle.
Joliet Police Sent To Larkin Ave.
According to Will County’s prosecutors, at 12:48 p.m. on Dec. 20, a 911 caller who identified himself to Joliet Dispatcher Sandy Ponce as Justen Holman told her he had committed a crime and needed to turn himself in.
Holman told her he parked in front of the OfficeMax store in a dark blue Dodge Charger, and there was a weapon in a book bag. Ponce instructed Holman to lock the book bag in the trunk of his car. Joliet Police Officers Long and Caban were sent to the OfficeMax parking lot at 1520 N. Larkin Avenue.
Officer Long asked Holman if he had killed someone at his house, and Holman answered yes, court documents reflect.
Next, other Joliet officers were sent to 6452 Langsford Lane, a Plainfield mailing address, to conduct a welfare check. At the house, Joliet Police Sgt. Peter Van Gessel heard dogs barking inside, but the doors were all locked.
Sgt. Van Gessel and fellow Joliet police forced entry through the front door. Van Gessel entered a first-floor bedroom and found an unknown identified female victim lying on the bed with no signs of life. She was bloody and had gunshot wounds to her legs.
“Sgt. Van Gessel also observed several ammunition shell casings on the bedroom floor next to the victim,” Fitzgerald relayed.
Holman Contemplates Suicide: Police
According to Holman’s interview with Joliet police detectives, he told them that three days earlier he was in an argument with his mother Bernadette Quasie, “due to him not signing a life insurance policy.
“Defendant advised that Bernadette and his father Exulam Holman created an insurance policy for Defendant that was for 1-2 million dollars. Defendant became suspicious that his parents wanted a life insurance policy for him because he did not have a job, kids, or a social life.”
The court records indicate Holman felt pressured by his father to sign the life insurance policy on Dec. 19, but he declined.
“Defendant related that he shot Bernadette in her bedroom, which is located near the kitchen,” Fitzgerald’s petition stated. “Defendant related that he does not remember how many times he shot Bernadette. Defendant advised that he had blood on his shoes that he was currently wearing while taken into custody. Defendant was wearing a pair of blue and white Nike shoes in which detectives observed small red stains on one of the shoes.”
After taking his mother’s life, Holman told Joliet police detectives “that he was contemplating committing suicide or turning himself into the police. Defendant was unsure how long he was driving around after he shot Bernadette,” prosecutors outlined.
Holman also advised detectives that he possibly took 12 Alprazolam on Dec. 19-20, which he stated are not prescribed to him.
Mother Planned To Kick Son Out of Her House: Relative
The prosecutor’s petition, noted that Detective Boe interviewed Bria E. Holman, daughter of the homicide victim.
According to their interview, she told Boe “that Bernadette had included her in an email that was sent to Defendant on 12/19/2023 … The email advised that Defendant was to vacate the premises at 6452 Langford Lane, Plainfield, IL 60586 on or before January 19, 2024. It also advised that if Defendant did not comply with the terms of the notice, legal action would be taken. Defendant told police detectives he had not seen the 30-day notice; however, his mother had told him about it, but he didn’t think she was serious about it.”
In addition, Detective Boe interviewed Marion Knox, the mother of murder victim Bernadette Quasie.
Knox told the Joliet detective “that her grandson, Defendant, didn’t want to work and could barely hold down a job. Ms. Knox said her daughter was trying to get Defendant to keep a job and pay some of the bills in the residence. She said this made Defendant mad and that it led to arguments between her daughter and grandson in the past few days.”
Knox also told police that Bernadette had life insurance policies on all three of her children since 2018.
“Defendant was upset about this and told Bernadette he did not want her to get any money if anything happened to him. Ms. Knox said Bernadette told her that Defendant had canceled his policy. Ms. Knox told police that Bernadette told her that Defendant had social disorders including opposition defiant disorder, but that he had never seen a medical doctor for it … Ms. Knox had no knowledge of Defendant ever being physical or threatening to Bernadette,” Fitzgerald’s petition informed the judge.
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