'It Was The Verdict We Were Expecting': Mayor Baldermann On Charlie Baird's Murder

NEW LENOX — Long-time Mayor of New Lenox Tim Baldermann was pleased to learn of Wednesday afternoon's bench trial verdict from Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak in the slaying of 19-year-old New Lenox resident Charlie Baird, who died in a random gas station crime.

Kevin Johnson, of Harvey, who was 16 at the time of the homicide in May 2020, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday. This month, Johnson asked for a bench trial in front of Will County's longest serving judge rather than have a jury trial.

The Will County Public Defender's Office did not call Johnson to testify in his own defense, and they also didn't call Johnson's older brother, Chris, to testify that Kevin Johnson had an alibi for the time of the murder. During opening statements, one of the public defenders told the judge that he would offer an alibi witness for his client, but when the trial was over, the public defenders never Johnson's older brother to testify, after all.

Baldermann has been the mayor of the growing community of New Lenox since 2007. He also served as the chief of police and, before that, as a detective during his career in law enforcement. He worked at the Chicago Ridge Police Department from 1988 until 2010 and investigated numerous murder cases during his career in police work.

The 19-year-old Baird was shot in the back around midnight, a few minutes after he pulled into the Circle K gas station on Nelson Road. Prosecutors convinced the judge that Johnson emerged from a car stolen in a Lockport subdivision two days earlier and shot Baird as the New Lenox teenager walked back to his car from the convenient store of the Circle K gas station.

The New Lenox slaying was random. Baird did not know the identity of the person who shot him in the back. However, Circle K had video surveillance of the shooting as it happened on May 10-11,2020.

"This was a case where the police had very little to go on," Baldermann told Joliet Patch on Wednesday, after the verdict. "Our patrol and our investigations divisions did amazing work to build an incredibly strong case for the prosecution.

"It was the verdict we expected and the verdict we were hoping for."

Baldermann said he can only recall one other murder around New Lenox during his time as mayor, but that homicide took place outside the village limits, he explained.

"We don't get murders in our community," Baldermann remarked. "But our police department handled it like pros. They did top-notch work."

On behalf of his entire community, Baldermann said he wanted to convey "our thoughts are with Charlie's family. We can't imagine what they've been going through, but we are glad that justice was done. Charlie's family, in particular, his mother, has been such an advocate to make sure justice was done, so we're relieved for her and her family that justice was served," Baldermann added.

Johnson will be sentenced May 21.

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'