Downers Grove Man Found Guilty Of Murdering Mom In Church Parking Lot

A Downers Grove man accused of murdering his mother in a church parking lot more than three years ago has been found guilty, a jury announced Thursday. He faces a prison sentence of 45 years to life.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a release that Michael Bassaly, 30, was formally found guilty of first degree murder for the shooting death of his mother, 61-year-old Yvonne Zaky Bassaly. He was also found guilty of firing the gun that killed his mom, which he previously denied.

The guilty sentence also means Bassaly is eligible for an extended prison term in the Illinois Department of Corrections, Berlin said.

Bassaly is accused of shooting his mother to death in the parking lot of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Burr Ridge on Aug. 29, 2013. He pleaded not guilty to the crime the following month and has been in custody without bail since he was arrested the day of his mother’s murder.

Prosecutors, who have called Yvonne Bassaly’s murder “cold, calculated and premeditated” said during an initial bond hearing that Bassaly was the subject of a Department of Homeland Security investigation related to fake government asylum documents he had in his possession.

Two days after being informed of the investigation, Bassaly reportedly made plans to kill himself and his mother, believing he would spend the rest of his life in prison or face repercussions in the Egyptian community, prosecutors said.

He allegedly suggested he and his mom go pray at St. Mark’s before they died.

Police soon found Yvonne Bassaly’s body in the backseat of a parked 2005 Cadillac near the church. Detectives found a sealed envelope with letters addressed to the FBI on Bassaly’s dashboard, which explained that Bassaly killed his mother “to protect her from the result of the investigation.” He also said he planned to commit suicide after killing her.

Bassaly’s story was retold several times, though, and he eventually told police that they’d been praying in the church parking lot and that the gun just “went off,” killing his mom. Bassaly’s lawyer, Marc Wolfe, has said he believes Yvonne killed herself while Bassaly tried to stop her.

After searching Bassaly’s home, investigators found documents, including identification statements, passports, checks and business cards falsely identifying him as a lawyer.

Bassaly’s trial lasted three days.

“Michael Bassaly unsuccessfully tried to convince a jury that his mother took her own life,” Berlin said in the release. “Today, a jury saw through his lies and feeble attempts to avoid responsibility for the murder of his own mother by claims of suicide. This was a very difficult case as the victim and defendant are mother and son. To the entire Bassaly family, I wish them some measure of closure as they come to the final stages of this horrible family tragedy.”

Bassaly is next expected in court March 27.

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Mugshot courtesy of the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office