7 Years Since Joliet Bartender Danny Rios' Murder: What's Going On?

JOLIET — Some of the slowest wheels in America's criminal justice system spin inside the Will County Courthouse and if you need evidence of that slowness, March 9 marks the seven-year anniversary of the late-night killing of 52-year-old Joliet bartender Danny Rios.

The bar owner's son, Tommy Izquierdo, was then shot in the stomach, and he recovered from his life-threatening injuries. Several of the patrons inside Izzy's Bar on Theodore Street tackled the gunman, as Joliet police were en route, before accused shooter Patrick Gleason was taken away in a Joliet Fire Department ambulance.

After spending two days at St. Joe's hospital, Gleason was booked into the Will County Jail on March 11, 2018, on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and several other felonies. At no point during these past seven years has Gleason stood before a Will County jury of his peers. Prosecutors have not had their opportunity to reveal all the facts surrounding the Joliet bartender's killing inside Izzy's Bar during the early morning hours of March 9, 2018.

For friends and family of Rios, it's now finally possible, though surely not a guarantee, that Gleason's first-degree murder charges will go to a jury trial this summer.

Last month, for the first time ever, a jury trial date was added to the Will County Courthouse calendar for Gleason, who is now 62 years old.

At no point since 2018 was a jury trial even scheduled.

Then, on Feb. 4, Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius informed Gleason and his criminal defense lawyers Jeff Tomczak and Bob Bodach of The Tomczak Law Group that a jury trial date would be set for June 23 in Courtroom 404.

The judge also set April 24 for any outstanding pretrial motions. With that, Gleason was remanded back to his cellblock at the Will County Jail. He remains jailed under the old Illinois cash bail system. His bail was set at $10 million, meaning that Gleason's family must post $1 million to secure his freedom.

Joliet Patch has provided extensive coverage of the Danny Rios murder case since the slaying happened seven years ago.

Here's a recap of several noteworthy articles since 2018:

Pat Gleason Drank 'Big Bottle Of Crown Royal' Before The Murder: JPD

November 15, 2023:

While 52-year-old Danny Rios chatted with patrons as he tended Izzy's Bar on Theodore Street, the man who would kill him hours later, Pat Gleason, attended the March 8, 2018, REO Speedwagon concert at Rialto's Square Theatre, according to Joliet police reports.

"I asked him what concert he was at, and he stated he went to the Rialto and saw REO Speedwagon," Gleason told Joliet police detectives Marc Reid and Shawn Filipiak from his hospital bed at Loyola Hospital in Maywood on March 9, 2018, Reid's police report showed.

"I asked him what happened after the concert, and he stated he went home. I asked him if went straight home and he stated straight home. I asked him if he made any stops between the concert and home, and he stated not that he was aware of," Reid wrote pertaining to their interview with Gleason. "I asked him if he had any drinks at the concert. He stated he had a big bottle of Crown Royal. When asked if he was drunk, he stated yeah. When asked if he remembered anything when he got home, he stated he didn't think he made it home because he was there."

January 2023:

Tomczak Law Group Aims To Bring Gleason's Murder Case To An End

The case of Patrick Gleason was reassigned out of the courtroom of Will County Judge Daniel Rippy because the Gleason family has hired downtown Joliet's Tomczak Law Group as Gleason's new defense counsel. Over the past several months, Gleason served as his own lawyer after firing attorney Chuck Bretz. Gleason had a rocky relationship with Bretz and wanted to fire him on several instances over the past few years.

Rippy recused himself from being further involved Gleason's first-degree murder proceedings because Rippy was a lawyer with attorney Jeff Tomczak's law firm prior to becoming a judge.

"Anyone who has followed Tomczak Law Group knows we don't shy away from the tough cases," attorney Jeff Tomczak told Joliet Patch. "We are looking forward to reviewing the discovery in an attempt to determine how a client who never committed a crime in his life finds himself in this situation.

"At this point, and for the benefit of all involved, I see no reason this case cannot be concluded this year."

December 13, 2022:

Izzy's Bar Murder Defendant Remains Successful At Delaying Trial

After being housed in Will County's Jail for almost five years, the man charged with the first-degree murder of Izzy's bartender Danny Rios continued to be successful at delaying his case from going to trial in front of Will County Judge Daniel Rippy.

Joliet murder defendant Patrick Gleason appeared in Courtroom 402, now acting as his own lawyer. Gleason learned the judge rejected his motion to exhume the body of Rios.

Gleason requested that the body of Rios be exhumed from Woodlawn Memorial Park to "reprocess and (analyze) the DNA of the victim due to the negligence of the state using unorthodox means to procure a sample from the victim, violating defendant's rights," Gleason wrote.

Assistant Will County State's Attorney Capelli asked the judge to deny Gleason's motion to exhume the victim's body. "The DNA of the victim is not an issue in this manner, as the victim has been properly identified as Daniel Rios. Furthermore, the DNA of the victim was collected at the autopsy and is in evidence at the Joliet Police Department ... Exhumation of Mr. Rios' body would be unnecessary and irrelevant."

Izzy's Murder Defendant Still Wants Bretz Removed

March 18, 2020:

Patrick Gleason, the man accused of fatally shooting Izzy's bartender Daniel Rios execution-style, asked a Will County judge to get rid of Charles Bretz & Associates as his private criminal defense counsel.

In November 2019, Gleason wrote Will County officials asking them to get rid of Charles Bretz as his lawyer. Will County Circuit Judge Daniel Rippy reviewed Gleason's request and rejected it. Afterward, Gleason mailed a two-paged typed letter from his cell at the Will County Jail, where he remained held on a $10 million bail.

Gleason wrote the motion himself, calling it, "Motion to relieve counsel of further representation."

"The defendant requests a short continuance and wishes to obtain new counsel due to a conflict of interest with present counsel and requests this court to relieve the defendant's present counsel, Mr. Chuck Bretz, of further representation," Gleason wrote Will County's Courthouse.

April 16, 2018:

Izzy's Bar Murder Suspect Might Pursue Insanity

Patrick Gleason retained the services of Chuck Bretz & Associates to put on his defense. In recent weeks, Bretz had expressed doubt in his client's mental fitness. Bretz and his investigator, Edward Michael Simon, made multiple visits to the Will County Jail to speak with their client, court documents showed.

"The defense counsel has also spoke to the defendant's neighbors and family members. Defense counsel believes there is a bonafide doubt to the defendant's fitness to stand trial," Bretz notified the court. "Accordingly, the defense is requesting a qualified expert examine the defendant to determine if he is fit to stand trial."

Izzy's Murder Suspect In Custody: JPD

March 9, 2018:

The Joliet Police Department say the suspect of Friday morning's deadly shooting inside Izzy's Bar at 507 Theodore St. was in custody. Joliet Police released a statement declaring that Patrick K. Gleason, who lives in the 1600 block of Dearborn Street in Crest Hill, is the homicide suspect. Police say they were working closely with the Will County State's Attorney's Office to bring charges against Gleason.

The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m., which is about 45 minutes before the Joliet bar closed. Two people were shot in the bar, Joliet Police said. The 911 caller told police that patrons in Izzy's had "disarmed the suspect and they currently had him detained. Shortly thereafter, officers arrived on the scene and assisted in securing both the suspect and the weapon," Joliet Police said.

Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil confirmed that the fatal shooting victim was Daniel Rios III of Joliet. The 52-year-old died from a single gunshot wound to his head. Woodlawn Funeral Service in Joliet handled the arrangements for Rios, who grew up in Joliet and was well-known and liked by a many people. The other person who was seriously injured and was in critical condition is the son of the bar's owner, Alfonso "Izzy" Izquierdo. He was airlifted from Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet to the Loyola Medical Center in Maywood.