'Maggio Is A Ruthless And Manipulative Killer': Glasgow

JOLIET — Three months after a Will County jury of 12 citizens returned verdicts of guilty on both counts in the Lockport double first-degree murder trial of Anthony Maggio, Friday at noon marked the sentencing of the former paramedic at the Joliet Amazon warehouse for the Oct. 2, 2020 slayings of 14-month-old Hazel Bryant and Hazel's mother, Ashtin Eaton.

Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Maggio to two terms of natural life in prison at the Illinois Department of Corrections, with no chance for parole. Maggio made a statement at the time of his sentencing, insisting that he was innocent and wrongfully convicted of double murder, and that the real killer walks free.

The young Lockport mother and little girl were found dead inside their apartment near downtown Lockport in the 900 block of Hamilton Street. Eaton died of strangulation, and Hazel was found smothered on her mother's bed.

"On October 2nd, 2020, a monster came into our lives. That monster was you!" declared Eaton's mother Shirley Onderisin, 65, during Friday's sentencing. "I still can't fathom that my beautiful daughter is gone and my precious granddaughter. I was the first person to hold her and cut her cord. From the moment I held her, she melted my heart. Unfortunately, for me and my family, we found out you never had a heart. At first, I didn't want to say anything to you! But you took two beautiful lives. And I need to ask why? You have now ruined my life and Jessica's life."

“Maggio is a ruthless and manipulative killer who stole the lives of Ashtin Eaton and Hazel Bryant all in an effort to thwart his obligations as a father to pay child support,” Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow declared in Friday's press release issued after the sentencing.

Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys, Christopher Koch, Ashley Kwasneski, James Zanayed, Victim Witness Advocate, Danette Pasdertz, IT Specialists Albert Bailey and Braulio Guzman, Administrative Assistant, Kendall Ziech, and the Lockport Police Department for their dedication and commitment in this matter.

Maggio was Hazel's father, and he and Eaton had carried out a romance after meeting at Amazon, where they worked together. Eaton was divorced, and she had another daughter, who was 11 years old when her mother and baby sister were killed. The older daughter, who was in sixth grade at the time, was not harmed by the assailant.

The Will County State's Office argued that Maggio killed Eaton and his little girl to avoid being required to make court-ordered child support payments to the Lockport mother.

"I believe you are a compulsive liar and prey on women with your sobbing lies. I do not wish what you did to my family on your daughters. I am not evil like you. How do you kill your own flesh and blood? That makes you evil!" declared Eaton's mother Shirley Onderisin, 65, during Friday's sentencing.

"You took away the only daughter that I had left. It was so needless and senseless. I'm so glad she fought you hard. I knew in my heart that it was you! Nobody else would have ever done this to my daughter or Hazel. She was not going to let you harm that beautiful baby. She loved her children so much. I thank God that you didn't know Jess was in her bed or you would have killed her too. That is how evil and selfish you are."

At the time of the slayings, Maggio lived in Crestwood with his fiancée, and they have two small girls. By all accounts, Maggio's criminal defense lawyer Michael Clancey told the jury, Maggio had disowned Hazel. Clancy rejected the prosecution's theory that Maggio killed the Lockport woman and their child over a dispute about child support payments.

Evidence presented by the prosecution showed that Maggio's DNA was found underneath both sets of fingernail clippings taken from Eaton at the time of her autopsy. Maggio's DNA was also found on the handle of the box cutter knife left near Eaton's slain body on her kitchen floor.

Additionally, Maggio's DNA was found near the collar of Eaton's T-shirt at the time of her homicide.

Clancy argued that Maggio was home, sleeping in bed with his fiancée, in Crestwood, 30 minutes away from Lockport, on the night of the slayings. Clancy reminded the jury that the Lockport Police Department was unable to find any eyewitnesses, neighbors of Eaton, or any video surveillance cameras obtained from local businesses or any of the suburban license plate readers that would have put his client's car or Maggio's fiancée's car in Lockport around the time of the murders.

"My daughter is finally going to have justice along with my granddaughter, finally, after four years, " said Eaton's mother Shirley Onderisin, 65, of Lockport, outside the Will County Courthouse during a Joliet Patch Facebook Live interview at the time of the jury verdict. "We're so happy, not happy because they're gone, but finally, anyway, justice is served and I want to thank the Lockport police. They were a terrific part of this. I put my trust in them a lot."

In addition to being represented by Chicago criminal defense attorney Michael Clancy, Maggio's defense team also included Margaret V. McQuaid of the Law Office of Margaret V. McQuaid.