Convicted Joliet Killer Wins Appeal, Judge Overturns His Jury Verdicts

JOLIET — Joliet resident Anthony Francimore, who was convicted by a Will County jury in October 2023 of felony first-degree murder and armed robbery, has managed to convince Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius that his jury verdict was wrong, and he did so with the help of lawyers.

On Friday morning, the judge ruled in Francimore's favor, and ordered that Francimore's murder conviction and armed robbery conviction be dismissed, court records indicate.

Francimore accomplished his goal without the assistance of counsel. He filed his motions from the Will County Jail after receiving the judge's permission to get rid of the Will County Public Defender's Office, who were his lawyers for his October 2023 jury trial.

Will County's online court records indicate that prosecutor Christine Vukmir was in Courtroom 404 on Friday morning, along with Francimore, acting as his own counsel. His former trial lawyer, Eric Berg of the Will County Public Defender's Office, was also present as stand by counsel.

Judge Cornelius ruled that "the defendant is Acquitted of all charges. Defendant ordered released as to this matter," court records reflect.

As of 10:45 a.m., the Will County Jail records still listed Francimore as an inmate. The Will County Sheriff's Office arrested Francimore on Oct. 29, 2018, and he has remained in the Will County Jail for nearly six and a half years now.

Last April, Joliet Patch reported that in an attempt to delay his sentencing to the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Joliet Township October 2018 deadly shooting of Nathan Ballard, Francimore blamed Will County Public Defenders Eric Berg for causing his felony first-degree conviction.

Francimore submitted a 20-page amended brief to Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius last March, suggesting that Francimore wanted to testify in his own defense at last fall's jury trial in Courtroom 404, but Berg refused to let that happen.

"Mr. Berg never fully defended the defendant with his motion ... and this shows in the presentation of his motion for new trial due to there was only one single case cited in the entire motion before it was set for a hearing, which is unacceptable by counsel, who is suppose (sic) to defend his client," Francimore wrote in his filing from the Will County Jail. "This motion alone speaks for itself showing how Mr. Berg's conduct as an officer of this court fell below the standards of defending Mr. Francimore as the law persists."

On Oct. 27, 2023, Joliet Patch reported that after less than three and a half hours of deliberation, a Will County jury found 25-year-old Francimore guilty of armed robbery and first-degree murder in the death of Ballard, 20. Francimore was found guilty of felony murder under the prosecution's theory of accountability.

During the closing arguments, long-time Assistant Will County State's Attorney Mike Fitzgerald held up a photo of 20-year-old Nathan Ballard during one of the more happy times in life. Ballard was smiling, holding the giant muskie he caught.

Fitzgerald reminded the Will County jury that Anthony Francimore, the defendant seated on the other side of Judge Vincent Cornelius in Courtroom 404, was responsible for Ballard's killing.

Francimore did not pull the trigger, Fitzgerald acknowledged, but had arranged for the drug deal and the robbery of $75 from Ballard minutes before Francimore's friend, Elijah Watson, emerged from their getaway car and fired several gunshots out the window, according to the Will County prosecutors trying this week's first-degree murder case.

One of the bullets hit Ballard in the chest, ending his life.

Fitzgerald insisted that Francimore definitely knew Watson came along for Francimore's drug deal armed with a loaded gun. Afterward, Francimore was dropped off at his house, only to walk back to Watson's residence and hide inside a car, trying to avoid police detection.