Charlie Baird's New Lenox Murder: Mother Pleased With Circle K Killer's Sentence

JOLIET, IL — More than five years after 19-year-old New Lenox resident Charlie Baird was shot in the back at the New Lenox Circle K gas pumps by a masked gunman dressed in all-black to conceal his identity, killer Kevin Johnson learned he was being sentenced to 45 years at the Illinois Department of Corrections from Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak.

In March, Judge Bertani found Johnson guilty in the slaying of Charlie Baird. Baird, 19, was shot in the back May 11, 2020, at the New Lenox Circle K gas station. He died days later.

A resident from Harvey, Johnson, now 21, was 16 at the time of the shooting. He opted to have the judge decide his case rather than select a jury of Will County citizens to decide his fate. Johnson also chose not to take the witness stand and testify in his own defense.

Following Monday morning's sentencing, Charlie Baird's mother Jen Baird met with reporters to express her satisfaction with the judge's sentencing for her son's killer. She explained that Johnson will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years, but she doubts he will get paroled if he continues to behave as he did at the Will County Jail and the River Valley Juvenile Justice Center where he was involved in numerous fights and other disciplinary problems.

"I'm happy she saw all the evidence that was presented. She saw, she heard and I'm happy with the number that she has given him," Jen Baird explained.

In the courtroom, Johnson's lead public defender asked the judge to impose the minimum prison sentence for his client, 20 years. The Will County Public Defender's Office argued that Johnson was subjected to enormous peer pressure, and they blamed that, along with his lack of maturity, being only 16 years old, at the time, for the fatal shooting at the gas station pumps.

Jen Baird disagreed.

"No, not really, because the evidence was there at trial," she pointed out. "He's not a good boy. He goes and he terrorizes people, he's doing the same thing in jail. I'm happy with the verdict of guilty because he's definitely guilty, and I'm happy with the 45 years."

Before Judge Bertani announced her sentencing, Johnson was allowed to approach the courtroom podium, wearing his banana yellow Will County Jail jumpsuit.

He spoke for about five minutes, telling the judge and the courtroom that for the past five years, "I've heard negativity, all five years," suggesting that the perception of Johnson presented in court was only his "negative side."

"I don't even know what to say right now," Johnson said at one point. "This is something that I can't help. I'm young. It's things that happened to me. I can't seem to comprehend. I had to go standup and give an explanation. "

When the judge asked Johnson to clarify one of his remarks, he explained, "I met a father figure in jail."

Judge Bertani told Johnson, "I understand the fact that because of your age and immaturity, but I don't find any evidence you were subjected to outside peer pressure. We have video so we could see what happened. He tried to get away and got shot in the back for no reason," the judge said. "I don't know what was said, but obviously, Mr. Baird turned to flee, there was absolutely no justification. I don't find this was an isolated incident."

Before imposing the 45-year prison term, the judge drew everyone's attention to a portion of Johnson's presentence investigation. Judge Bertani said that Johnson remarked during his May PSI interview that "I didn't fail society, society failed me. It's not my fault."

"That's disturbing on all levels," Judge Bertani announced. She reminded Johnson that he had a long history of stealing vehicles and that his DNA was found in the stolen car he and his acquaintances drove to the New Lenox gas station where Johnson requested a gun from another person in his group. Johnson confronted Baird, the only customer at the gas pumps, and shot him as he was fleeing toward the gas station convenience store.

"I know 40 (of prison) years is a long time, but that was unnecessarily evil and criminal," the judge noted.

Since Baird was shot during the height of the worldwide COVID pandemic, his family and friends were restricted on spending time with him at the hospital, the judge noted. He died a few days after being shot.

"Alone and without his family," Judge Bertani remarked.

Outside court, Joliet Patch interviewed Jen Baird, asking whether she understand anything Johnson was saying when he walked to the podium to speak.

"It was kind of hard to understand," she agreed. "And the whole thing about that he doesn't know what to say to the mother, well, he shouldn't have shot my son. And he wouldn't be in this position right now and I wouldn't be in this position right now. He knew what he was doing. He was the one that chased him and shot him in the back so you can tell what character this person is, he's a monster and he belongs behind bars for a very, very long time."

Monday's sentencing had been delayed several times the most recent delay happened because Johnson to call his sister to testify on his behalf at his sentencing hearing. Angel Johnson, 36, took the stand on Monday morning for about 10 minutes, informing everyone that their mother suffered paralysis from head to toe about 10 years ago and Johnson's grandmother, who attended last year's trial and helped him raise him, has since died.

She said the family grew up in Hazel Crest. "It was a good neighborhood," she testified.

As for their mother, "she can't talk or walk."

As for Kevin Johnson, since he's been incarcerated for over five years, "I feel like he's improved. He's been a man. You can tell by the way a person talks. He's changed."

Related trial coverage:

• 'Overwhelming Evidence, But It's All True Evidence': Charlie Baird's Mom
• Kevin Johnson Fatally Shot Charlie Baird At Gas Station: Eyewitness
• Murder Of Charlie Baird: Daring Daytime Crime Preceded Shooting
• DNA From Stolen SUV Came From Kevin Johnson: New Lenox Murder Trial Testimony
• Murder At New Lenox Gas Station: 'It's My Son Charlie'