Grandmother's Fiery Death Near Plainfield: Murder Trial Yet To Happen

JOLIET, IL — It's now been more than five years since Joliet resident William Vera appeared at his bail hearing, and let everyone know he was responsible for setting the horrific two-story house fire in the Plainfield area that took the life of his 87-year-old grandmother.

Teresa Collado lived at 1906 Glacier Ridge Drive, along with Vera, her grandson. Joliet's Fire Department extinguished the deadly blaze on March 22, 2019.

"I did this because I have a mental disability," William Vera blurted out during his hearing in front of Will County Associate Judge Chrystel Gavlin through a video monitor at the downtown jail facility.

Initially, the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow charged Vera with aggravated arson, arson and one charge of criminal damage to property However, by April 29, 2019, Vera's charges were upgraded to include first-degree murder.

"Said defendant ... set fire to the residence located at 1906 Glacier Ridge Drive, Plainfield, Will County, Illinois, thereby causing the death of Teresa Collado and Teresa Collado was 60 years of age or older at the time of the offense," the criminal complaint reads.

Vera's other charges include two counts of aggravated arson, two counts of arson, involuntary manslaughter and criminal damage to property.

As for William Vera's grandmother, Joliet's Fire Department rushed into her burning house and found the elderly woman on the second floor, where she had suffered severe burns. She was taken by ambulance to St. Joe's hospital, then airlifted to the Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, but she died several hours later.

Vera is now 37 years old and has remained in the Will County Jail, under the old cash bail system, unable to post 10 percent of his $1 million bail.

His next pretrial hearing is in one week, on April 17, in Courtroom 503.

If you are wondering when Vera will stand trial in Will County, or if he will finally stand trial in 2024, that remains unclear.

The last court hearing of major consequence happened Feb. 13. That morning, both sides, the prosecution and Vera's taxpayer-funded lawyers with the Will County Public's Defender Office, agreed that Vera's mental fitness evaluation report revealed that Vera has been deemed mentally fit to stand trial in Will County surrounding the death of his grandmother.

Still, as of April 10, no trial date has been set by the judge for Courtroom 503, Carmen Goodman.

A review of his jail logs indicates Vera had hearings at the Will County Courthouse for his murder case:

• 13 times in 2019
• 7 times in 2020
• 11 times in 2021
• 16 times in 2022
• 11 times in 2023
• 3 times so far in 2024, with his fourth hearing set for April 17

Related Joliet Patch coverage over the years:

Mental Fitness Exam Looms For Joliet Man Charged In Deadly Fire

Grandson Confesses In Court To Setting Deadly Fire In Joliet

Grandson's Charges Upgraded In Deadly House Fire