'Enjoy Prison Life, You Still Have Hell To Look Forward To', Charlie Baird's Mother Tells Killer

JOLIET, IL — The family and friends of New Lenox murder victim Charlie Baird returned to the Will County Courthouse on Monday to learn the sentence for Kevin Johnson, who was found guilty in the 2020 slaying. After several months of delays, Johnson finally appeared at the Will County Courthouse for his scheduled sentencing.

"You pulled the trigger that night and as a result, your whole life was blown away in the blink of an eye. Enjoy prison life. You still have hell to look forward to," declared Jen Baird, Charlie's mother, during her victim impact statement in Courtroom 405.

But by 3 p.m., some five-and-a-half hours after more than 30 family and friends of Charlie Baird packed into Courtroom 405, the group filed out of the courtroom perturbed to find out that Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak was opting not to impose Johnson's sentence on Monday as they had hoped.

Instead, the judge agreed with the Will County Public Defender's Office's request to delay the sentencing hearing, that way they can try to find Johnson's sister, who they may decide to call on their client's behalf as a mitigation witness.

The sister, Angel Johnson, was not in the courtroom for Monday's sentencing, and the two public defenders told the judge they wanted an opportunity to confer with her before presenting the defense portion of the sentencing. They said that she is a registered nurse or works in the health-care field.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office called more than a half dozen witnesses on Monday, leading off with the victim's mother, Jen Baird, as their first witness.

"May 11, 2020, that was the day our lives changed forever," Jen Baird began her remarks. "Charlie was my oldest son, and the last we saw him was Mother's Day. I'm grateful that Charlie shared his last meal with us as a family. I had no idea that it would be the last time I would see my son awake."

During her victim impact statement, Jen Baird said that "only a monster without a soul would commit such an act. Charlie crawled back inside the gas station, bleeding to death. We were told our son was at Silver Cross Hospital and that we could not be with him due to the early stages of the COVID pandemic. That didn't seem to stop you from taking Charlie's life away from everyone who loved and cared for him. So, as my son is fighting for his life, I can't be with him."

Back in March, Judge Bertani-Tomzak found Johnson guilty in the killing. Baird, 19, was shot in the back May 11, 2020, at the New Lenox Circle K gas station. He died days later.

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.

At trial, the prosecution team was led by Christine Vukmir, Katie Rabenda and Lauren Senko. Johnson was represented by Will County Public's Defenders Samantha Kerins and Jason Strzelecki.

"I've been living through hell these last five years," Jen Baird announced in Monday's victim impact statement. "Coming to every pretrial because Charlie has a family that loves him very much. I will sleep a little easier knowing you'll be locked up in a small cage. You took a life and now yours will be taken. You will not rehabilitate, you said it yourself in your jail calls, 'once you in the streets, ain't no going back.'"

On Monday, several hours of Courtroom 405 proceedings were spent by the judge addressing Johnson's recently filed pro se motion asking her to overturn the murder conviction and grant him a new trial. Johnson argued ineffective assistance of counsel from his two public defenders.

By mid-afternoon, the judge ultimately rejected Johnson's motion for a new trial and after being granted permission to proceed as a pro se defendant, without any counsel, Johnson changed his mind when she announced it was time to proceed with the sentencing hearing.

At that point, Johnson asked the judge to allow his two attorneys from the Will County Public Defender's Office to represent him as counsel during his sentencing:

Strzelecki told the judge that he had not made any attempts to track down Johnson's sister because he was under the impression that Johnson would handle his own defense as a pro se defendant.

Outside the courtroom, family and friends of Baird were told that they did not need to return to the courthouse on Tuesday, because the only point of the court proceedings is to set another date for resuming the actual sentencing.

Baird's mother Jen spoke with Patch the day of the verdict.

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'