Joliet Murder Victim's Court Documents: 'Abuse From Michael Is So Severe and So Extreme'

JOLIET — After obtaining her second order of protection against her estranged husband Michael Aud-Headlee in late November, Melissa Aud-Headlee hired a Joliet law firm to file divorce papers in January at the Will County Courthouse. On Saturday morning, the 35-year-old Joliet mother of three was slain in front of her house on Pandola Avenue, fatally stabbed by her estranged husband, who then took his own life at the end of the driveway, according to Joliet police.

Documents at the Will County Courthouse indicate the 32-year-old Michael Aud-Headlee terrorized his estranged wife on numerous occasions during their marriage of four years. The couple married in Joliet on Sept. 13, 2019.

Court documents indicate that Michael Aud-Headlee "is not currently on active duty as a member of the United States of America Armed Forces." He was residing in Carmi, which is about 5 hours south of Joliet, near Carbondale. The married couple had one child together, a 3-year-old boy who was inside the home at the time of Saturday's murder-suicide, according to police.

According to Melissa Aud-Headlee's most recent order of protection, granted by Will County Judge Tom Slazyk on Nov. 27, "Michael took my medication and my son's medication and hid it. He prevented me from leaving the bathroom. He then prevented me from leaving the bedroom. He woke up the children and asked them if they had bugs crawling on them. He has been recently released from the hospital for hallucinating and admitted himself. One of his claims was that he felt there was bugs on him as well as me and the children," Saturday's murder victim notified the judge less than six months ago.

In November's order of protection, Melissa notified the judge she tried to gather various belongings for her and her three children to lock themselves in the bedroom.

"I tried to gather belongings for me and the children without him noticing because I fear for our safety. Michael has been physically abusive to me in the past and has expressed he does not fear police."

Although Michael Aud-Headlee had threatened to take away their 3-year-old son, Melissa stated, "he has no means to care for him. He has sent me threatening messages throughout the day verbally abusing me."

Court documents indicate the order of protection expired after Melissa Aud-Headlee did not return to the courthouse the following month to have it extended.

At the time of her January 2022 order of protection, Melissa Aud-Headlee indicated their son was 1-year-old and she had two other children, ages 7 and 6, from a previous relationship. That order of protection was also granted.

On Jan. 19, 2022, "Michael was standing over me and screaming and spitting into my face while I was trying to sleep, and told me he was going to crash into my car and said he gave it a flat tire," she wrote former Will County Judge Tom Carney. "He then left for work and while he was at work, he sent me a text stating that when he got home, he was going to straighten me out. I put the kids in the car when he got home and said I needed to go shopping for diapers.

"I took the kids to their grandparents' house to get the kids out of the situation and Michael was in the doorway saying he will fix me when I get home."

On Jan. 18, 2022, "Michael came home and said he was going to terrorize my children through text," Melissa wrote Judge Carney two years before she was killed.

On Dec. 20, 2021, Michael "told the kids that they won't get any Christmas presents because their mommy is a dummy," Melissa wrote in her 2022 order of protection petition. "He then took me to the other side of the house and pinned me against the wall, threatened me about something that I cannot remember, when the kids then walked in, he was choking me. When the kids saw what was happening, he then acted like he was hugging me instead."

The previous day, on Dec. 19, 2021, Melissa explained, "I was holding my baby son ... at 4 a.m. Michael got mad and hit me across the face. Michael then threatened if I called the police or my parents, they wouldn't be able to stop him from hurting me.

"The abuse from Michael is so severe and so extreme that the trauma is preventing me from being able to remember every exact date and time," she notified Judge Carney. "Michael has hit me in one way or another more than 10-plus times. I thought he was sorry and would change. I thought it was my fault. I am scared that he will come and try to hurt me and my kids. I have countless texts and video of the things he has done to me. He has taken my phone and thrown it on the ground/step on it. He takes my phone so I cannot call for help."