Amazon Hires First-Degree Murder Defendant In Joliet House Slaying From Last Year

JOLIET, IL — Kendrick Pullen, a 22-year-old Joliet first-degree murder defendant who defeated the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow last year in his effort to regain his freedom under the SAFE-T-Act, has just received permission from the same Will County judge to begin employment at one of the state's largest companies.

Last October, Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak rejected efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office to keep Pullen, then 21, in the Will County Jail following his first-degree murder charges arising from a Joliet house shooting that ended the life of 42-year-old Everett "TY" Cole Jr.

Last week's order from Judge Bertani-Tomczak declared that Pullen is able to travel to and from the Amazon Distribution Center in Aurora at 2865 Duke Parkway, only for employment purposes.

Pullen's work shift will be Saturday through Wednesday 1:20 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. and "should defendant's employment end, defendant is ordered to notify this court and pretrial services immediately," the judge stipulated in her order.

Meanwhile, "all other conditions of pretrial release remain in full effect until further order of this court," the judge pointed out.

Pullen, who comes from Chicago's South Abedeen Street apartment units, was housed in the Will County Jail for about 10 days last October following his arrest by the Joliet Police Department.

He regained his freedom under the SAFE-T-Act on Oct. 21 and has remained free ever since. He has continued to come to the Will County Courthouse in downtown Joliet for his regular pretrial hearings. His murder case does not have a trial date, yet.

Last year, Joliet Patch reported that State's Attorney Jim Glasgow's team of prosecutors had filed a petition to deny pretrial release for Pullen, but the judge decided to let Pullen out of the Will County Jail.

"TY reached towards his right hip, Pullen pushed TY and BJ out of the way and grabbed a gun near the chimney area and shot TY three to four times," prosecutor Tricia McKenna wrote in her court filing. "Pullen said the gun he used was not his and it was more of a house gun to keep the house safe."

Cole's homicide happened inside a house on Joliet's east side the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.

As Cole's 65-year-old father waited in their parked vehicle just a couple of houses down the street, Everett Cole Jr. suffered multiple gunshot wounds before collapsing and dying in the front entrance of 830 Wenberg St.

According to the prosecution's filing, Everett Cole Jr. had one gunshot to his chest and another to his stomach. One of the several eyewitnesses to the shooting later told Joliet police that "he was at the residence trying to get high when Everett came in, kicked the female's date out, and came upstairs. Everett came into the kitchen and told everyone else they had to get out. (Pullen) yelled, 'Move, move,' and shot him four or five times," according to prosecutors.

About five minutes prior to his murder, Everett Cole Jr. told his father he was "gonna have to knock this (woman) out," prosecutors said. Everett Cole Sr. believed his son was referring to a woman who owed him money, according to the petition.

"Everett Jr. was gone for approximately three minutes when Everett Sr. heard several gunshots," prosecutors noted.

As for Pullen, the now-22-year-old first-degree murder defendant is being represented by private defense counsel, lawyers Jerry King and Marisa Bondi from the downtown Joliet law firm King & Bondi.

While Pullen remains free, he is prohibited from having contact with people in Will County except for his future court matters, the judge's 2024 ruling noted.

Related: 3 Blame Joliet Murder Victim For Events Causing His Death