Body of No. Ill. Univ. Student, Antinette Keller, found/ William Curl, who has mental health issues, arrested/Charged w/ 5 Counts 1st degree murder & other charges/Held on $5 million bond/Trial to start June 11th/Curl takes plea deal for a 37 yr sentence

DEKALB, Ill. (CBS/WBBM) Police are searching for Northern Illinois University freshman Antinette "Toni" Keller, who was reported missing last week.

PICTURES: Antinette Keller Missing

The 18-year-old, of Plainfield, was last seen on Thursday. Keller had told friends that she was planning to go for a walk near the Junction Center shopping mall on West Lincoln Highway to take photographs.

"It makes me worried. It makes my whole family worried," Amie Fischer, a friend of Keller, told CBS affiliate WBBM. "Even people who didn't know her are worrying because it could have been anyone."

Campus police and volunteers have been combing the area in a desperate search. Volunteer Ben Yamamoto described the experience as "unsettling."

"You're just walking through the woods hoping to find anything, but there's nothing out there," Yamamoto told the station.

According to the Daily Chronicle newspaper, Keller's family expected her to come home to Plainfield for the weekend. When she didn't call to arrange for a ride, her family became concerned.

Keller is a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, approximately 130 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a gray jacket and a scarf and may have been carrying an art portfolio and professional-grade camera.

Anyone who may have seen Keller or having information about her whereabouts is urged to call the NIU Dept. of Public Safety at (815) 753-1212.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20020195-504083.html

God bless her. I sure hope she turns up.

This is her facebook page. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I have been kind of following it because a friend from Morgans forum brought it up and it is our neighboring state of Illinois.


I hear dad is out searching and mom is in the hospital suffering from anxiety over her missing daughter.

Pray for this family. The journey is a long one.

Northern Illinois University police using dogs were able to pick up missing student Antinette "Toni" Keller's scent in the woods, but the trail ended where the wooded area opened into a residential DeKalb neighborhood, Sgt. Alan Smith said Tuesday.

The abrupt end of the trail would seem to indicate the Plainfield girl might have gotten into a vehicle, but Smith said that was only a "possibility." Police are exploring other scenarios as well, he said.

Because the woods were carefully combed by police over the weekend and Monday, they discouraged students Tuesday from conducting their own search of the area for signs of 18-year-old Keller, Smith said.

Instead, at a meeting of about 50 students with NIU Police Chief Don Grady and Brian Hemphill, vice president of student affairs and enrollment, classmates were urged to hand out fliers and make buttons and ribbons that can be worn to "increase awareness and heighten visibility," he said.

A flier distribution plan is being organized, according to the school's Web site, and students are being encouraged to approach people's homes in pairs and to go out in groups. The fliers include Keller"s description -- brown hair, blue eyes, 5-foot-6, 130 pounds -- as well as identifying features, including a sunflower tattoo on her chest and a jewelry stud in her nose.

Several new photos of Keller have also been released.

Students are also being asked to post positive signs around campus and to make cards of support for Kellers' family. Her parents, Roger and Diane Keller, have been actively involved in the investigation, police said.

The student meeting with police sprang from social networking and calls from students and community members asking how to help, NIU spokesman Bradley Hoey said. Friends and family have set up a Facebook page dedicated to the missing person search.

"It was a very positive atmosphere," Hoey said. "It gave everyone a sense of what has been going on and what they can do to if they want to contribute in any way, shape or form in the future," he said.

Keller's family was not at the meeting, Hoey said. Roger Keller, who owns TRF Environmental in Plainfield, did not return calls.

Mike Avery, who lives next door to the Keller family in the Lake subdivision, said he learned of Keller's disappearance when a reporter knocked on his door. A father with teenage children of his own, he said his heart goes out to the Keller's.

"It's impossible to imagine what that would be like," Avery said. "It's a very disturbing event that's unfolding here."

The Kellers moved to the upscale neighborhood in northeast Plainfield from Naperville about three years ago, Avery said. Toni chose to finish high school at Neuqua Valley in Naperville because her friends were there, he said.

Keller, who was studying art, was last seen by friends at about noon Oct. 14. She told friends that she was going for a walk in an area adjacent to West Lincoln Highway near the Junction Center retail complex. She took an art portfolio and camera with her, police said.

NIU is offering counseling for students upset by the college freshman's disappearance.

"We want everyone to know that counselors are here to let students know how to support each other and how to support the family," Hoey said.

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You do not take a walk and take your portfolio with you. She must have been going to or hoping to meet someone.

Doesn't she look like an older Zahra?

OMG, Yes Cherylz she does.

What kind of portfolio do you think it is Charming? Like an art portfolio of pictures she's taken, or a modeling portfolio?

This is not looking good for this poor girl

I think photos. A smaller sized one. She is studying art, so it could be any size. Larger portfolios would hold paintings or drawings. Very large and bulky.
She could have been jumped for her camera.

I went to art school and have experience with portfolios.

Police: Remains Found in Search for Ill. Student
Human Remains Found in Park Where Investigators Were Searching for Missing Northern Illinois University Student


Human remains have been found in a DeKalb, Ill., Park where investigators were searching for missing Northern Illinois University art student Antinette "Toni" Keller. The missing person case is now a death inquiry.


Antinette Keller appears in this photo supplied by NIU Police Department. Antinette Keller, a Northern Illinois University student has been missing since Oct. 14, 2010.
(Courtesy NIU Police Department)
An autopsy is now underway in the case which investigators say would be consistent with the case of Keller, an 18-year-old freshman who went missing on October 14 after setting off into the same park, Prairie Park, alone.

Keller was last seen around noon on Oct. 14, at her residence hall. She told fellow students she was going to Prairie Park to get ideas for an art project.

Keller was last seen going into the woods with an art portfolio and a camera.

"Investigators are actively pursuing leads in the case and are seeking information about any suspicious activity or persons in Prairie Park on or about the time of Keller's disappearance," Bill Feithen of the DeKalb County Major Case Squad told ABC News affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago.

"She just told the people she was going into the forest, which she did all the time to do her artwork because that's a nice way to relax and have your art feel going, and she always came back before dark," Jamie Feather, one of Keller's friends, told ABC Chicago station WLS-TV. "She was supposed to meet someone the next day and never showed up."

Police said they have ruled out a theory, previously reported on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children website, that Keller went to California, where a close friend of hers recently moved.

According to Keller's cousin and family spokeswoman, Mary Tarling, Keller had made arrangements to see family and friends last weekend, and the family realized she was missing when she did not turn up at home Oct. 15.

NIU police immediately began a search once a fellow resident at Neptune North residence hall reported her missing on the evening of Oct. 15, DeKalb Police Department Chief Bill Feithen said.

The Prarie Woods sit just south of the school's campus in DeKalb. Large portions of the park were closed to the public today as investigators searched the area.

Northern Illinois University students held a rally today at 9 a.m. in support of their classmate.

According to Tarling, Keller's mother has been hospitalized due to stress; both parents were identified of the reclassification of the case after property that may belong to their daughter was found in the area.
Tarling told ABC News that a set of dorm keys belonging to Keller were found in the park, but it is still unclear whether they are a previous set made for her, or the set that she took with her on Oct. 14.

A posting from her family on the Facebook page set up to help find her, "Missing Antinette Keller" read: "Thank you for the outpouring of support. It is all this help from everyone here at NIU and the community that will bring Toni home. Please keep it going! Toni, we love you!"

Keller, originally from Plainfield, Ill., is a freshman at NIU and though she has only been on campus for a couple of months, word of her disappearance has her friends worried.

"This is the first time this has happened. It is frightening, and hopefully she is OK wherever she is at. We're hoping that nothing has happened to her," her friend Sydney LaPorte said.

Keller is described as 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Keller is asked to call a hotline set up by police, (815) 753-4648.

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Thank you Raine!

I kept following along hopeing against hope that she might be found.

What a shame. Another beautiful young girl with her whole life ahead of her.

Rest in peace Antinette.

OMG! NOOOOOO NOT the outcome I was hoping form. Thank you Raine for posting

Her poor Mother is already hospitalized for her missing, GOD I hope this doesn't cause her to have a heart attack!! This poor girl was so innocent and just wanted to take pictures for her art portfolio

This was posted on her Facebook page and also on last evenings news.

Missing Antinette Keller The latest we have seen is the Chronicle story stating that remains were found "early" in the investigation , but no idea what that means. Trying to be patient while the facts get sorted out...

They had been searching all week. I wonder why they let people continue searching when they had already found her remains?

Has anybody ever heard of that.

Yes they pretty much knew it was her because her things were found close by the body.

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They are supposed to be holding a press conference this afternoon.

The above link is just continuing information.

There was a news conference on Chanel 5 with the DeKalb LE.

The news could not be worse. They have found remains. So badly burned they cannot identify them as being Toni.

What kind of monster is this they are looking for.

Her poor mother. Pray for her.

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This is the correct linke to the DeKalb press conference.

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Sorry about that. I am not as good as our BJ.

On the Today Show local news they announced that a "person of interest" has been detained in LA.

Somebody in our forum family is in Louisiana? Any thing you might be hearing?

I know we are supposed to post links to our information and I found this.

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The DeKalb man charged with murdering Northern Illinois University student Antinette Keller described her slaying to police, then told investigators drops of her blood stained his clothing and shoes, prosecutors disclosed in a court filing.

The new information was outlined in a court document that seeks a DNA sample from 34-year-old William Curl to compare with substances found on shoes that authorities suspect he may have worn when he allegedly killed the NIU freshman last month.

The motion, though, offered no details about how the 18-year-old Keller was slain or what other information Curl provided to investigators when questioned about her death.

Curl told investigators he threw away the brown suede shoes following Keller’s Oct. 14 killing because her blood stained the footware, DeKalb County prosecutors disclosed in their request for a DNA sample from Curl.

“He threw those shoes away because they had drops of blood on them and the blood would not come out,” prosecutors wrote in their motion.

After Curl’s Oct. 29 arrest in Keller’s murder, investigators dug through a DeKalb County landfill for several days before unearthing several shoes that matched the description provided by Curl.

A DNA sample from Curl is needed “to assist in attempting to identify if any of the shoes” belong to him, prosecutors said in their Nov. 19 filing.

DeKalb County State¹s Attorney John Farrell declined to comment on Monday.

Curl is scheduled to appear today for a hearing during which prosecutors will seek a court order for his DNA.

Curl also allegedly told police that Keller’s “blood got onto his clothes,” prosecutors contend in their court filing, but they don’t disclose whether any of his clothing has been found or subjected to DNA testing.

Keller, an art student from Plainfield, vanished on Oct. 14 after telling friends she planned to go to Prairie Park near the NIU campus.

Friends reported her missing after she failed to return, and a police search on Oct. 16 found badly burned human remains in the park.

Authorities believe the remains discovered are those of the Plainfield woman, but DNA testing that would confirm that has yet to be completed, authorities said.

Curl’s attorney said she likely would not oppose the request for a DNA sample from Curl.

Curl has met with a mental health expert for evaluation since he has been jailed, DeKalb County Public Defender Regina Harris said Monday.

“He¹s very confused, very fragile,” said Harris.

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Family asks for Northern Illinois student's remains so they can hold memorial
Published: Friday, March 25, 2011

CHICAGO — Wearing three sunflowers clipped to his jacket in memory of his murdered daughter, Roger Keller was in court Wednesday to show support for efforts to have her remains released so the family can say a proper goodbye.
"As parents, you take care of your children from start to finish," said Mary Tarling who spoke afterward on her uncle's behalf. "This is one more way that they have to take care of their child, a way that no parent should have to."
With Keller solemnly sitting nearby, DeKalb County State's Attorney Clay Campbell filed a motion in the Sycamore courthouse to allow some of the remains of 18-year-old Antinette "Toni" Keller to be released so the family can hold a memorial.
A freshman at Northern Illinois University, the teen disappeared Oct. 14. A charred body believed to be hers was discovered two days later in a park close to campus. But positive identification proved difficult.
After a fragment of thighbone was sent to a laboratory in Dallas, prosecutors said in January that a DNA analysis confirmed the body was Keller's. Her remains are still in the possession of the DeKalb County Coroner.
"I think it goes without saying, the family is suffering," said Campbell, who wore a yellow sunflower that Keller's father had given him.
Campbell said the family wears the bright yellow flower in memory of the teen, who had a sunflower tattoo. The NIU art student, who was from Plainfield, was last seen walking toward Prairie Park, telling friends that she planned to do some sketching.
Keller's father did not speak to reporters following the court hearing.
Defense attorney Regina Harris wants a forensic anthropologist from Pennsylvania to examine the remains before any portion of them are released.
Attorneys are expected back in court Monday to determine when the prosecutor's request can be considered.
William Curl, 34, who is charged with Keller's murder, sexual assault and arson, is being held on about $5 million bail.
Early in the investigation, Curl fled to Mexico, but recrossed the border and was taken into custody by federal marshals at a motel in Covington, La., where he was looking for work as a day laborer, police said.
Meanwhile, attorneys continue to examine evidence, including DNA samples, before they proceed to a trial.
Although the Kellers understand the complexities of the legal system, waiting has proven difficult, said Tarling.
"We had planned to do something in the spring and spring is coming," she said.
DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen said he hoped the criminal justice system would be sensitive to the family's desire to have the remains of their loved one returned.
"We're human beings," he said. "We have loved ones and we see what they're going through. As criminal justice professionals we still have our jobs that we have to perform but we at the same time we still feel sensitive to the family and care about them."
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Diane Keller mother of Toni Keller: It's just now that I have the courage to talk on facebook. I suffer pain that I wouldn't want my worst enemy face. I read toni keller facebook everyday. I learned to trust no other, however, I have learned that there are people like you on facebook that are angels, as is Toni. God bless all of you. You keep me going. Much love to all of you.
March 27 at 9:48am
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Those poor parents, what they must be going thru'....

Agreement reached to release remains of Toni Keller


SYCAMORE – DeKalb County State's Attorney Clay Campbell and Public Defender Regina Harris have reached an agreement that will allow some of the remains of Antinette "Toni" Keller to be released so her family can hold a memorial service.

The agreement was announced Friday afternoon during a court hearing at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore. The remains will be released in seven to 10 days.

The family has not yet held a memorial service for Keller.

"We waited intentionally until we had Toni," said Mary Tarling, a cousin of Keller's and spokeswoman for the Keller family. "She needs to be at her own memorial."

None of the Keller family members were in court Friday, but Campbell said he had spoken to her father earlier in the day.

"It goes without saying they are looking forward to the day they can take their daughter home," he said. "As a father myself talking to a father, you could hear in Mr. Keller's voice that he's been waiting for this for a long time."

A memorial has not yet been set, but Tarling said it is the family's intention to invite anyone who wants to come. "We will notify everyone who has been patient and compassionate with us," she said.

Keller, an 18-year-old Northern Illinois University student, disappeared last October after telling friends she was going to take a walk in Prairie Park. Her burned remains were later found in the park, and a DeKalb man, William "Billy" Curl, has been charged with her murder.

Campbell said some of the remains have to be maintained for evidence at trial, but he believed there are enough remains to allow those with evidentiary value to be preserved while releasing others to provide some comfort to the Keller family.

During a status hearing earlier this week, Harris – who is representing Curl – said she was hopeful an agreement would be reached. She had asked a forensic anthropologist who is an expert in burnt remains to review detailed photographs and determine whether all of the remains needed to be maintained for potential evidentiary value.

Curl, 34, has been held in the DeKalb County Jail on a more than $5 million bond since his arrest in October. He has been arraigned on five counts of first-degree murder, one count of concealing a homicidal death, one count of arson and one count of criminal sexual assault in Keller’s death. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Keller, who was 18 at the time of her death, was last seen Oct. 14 on the NIU campus, when she told friends she intended to take a walk in Prairie Park. Remains were found in the park Oct. 16, but they were burned too badly for positive identification. It took forensic analysts about a week to determine the remains were human, but they still could not be identified.

The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Jan. 6 that the remains had been positively identified through DNA testing as those of Keller.
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The trial of the man accused of murdering Antinette “Toni” Keller of Plainfield in October 2010 has been delayed until June 11, the DeKalb Daily Chronicle reported Tuesday.

The trial for William Curl, 35, of DeKalb, was originally scheduled to begin May 7. On Monday, DeKalb County Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert granted a motion by public defender Regina Harris to delay the proceedings to allow more time to prepare Curl’s defense.

Curl entered a plea of not guilty on five counts of first-degree murder and one count each of arson, criminal sexual assault and concealing a homicidal death.

At the time of her death, Keller was an 18-year-old student at Northern Illinois University. She disappeared while taking an afternoon walk in a park near the NIU campus. Her burned remains were discovered in a wooded area of the park Oct. 15, 2010.

Police began suspecting Curl of the murder when he failed to attend a second interview with detectives, who were talking to people known to frequent the park. Police later tracked Curl to Mexico and Louisiana, where he was arrested.

Curl remains in the DeKalb County jail awaiting trial.
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Thanks for updating us on this case, Raine! What a horrible person he is and what a little sweetie Toni was. Just makes you sick!

Art Auction to Help Keller Family Before Murder Trial Starts This June

Money raised through the event will help cover the Kellers' food, fuel and lodging costs during the DeKalb court proceedings,

By Karen Sorensen Email the author 5:56 am

Thelma Holderness knew Toni Keller without ever having said a word to her.

Every morning, as Holderness was cleaning the Northern Illinois University dorm in which the 18-year-old Plainfield student lived, she would see Toni in a commons area studying.

"That girl was the first kid I saw at 6 a.m. every morning," said Holderness, a janitor at the school. "I just noticed her every day. ... Sometimes she would look up and smile at me."

So when one of the students told Holderness that Toni was missing after taking an afternoon walk in a local DeKalb park in October 2010, she knew the news would not be good.

"As soon as I realized who it was, I just has this feeling," she said. "This was not a girl who was just out partying all the time."

The remains of Keller's body were discovered shortly after she was reported missing. William Curl is awaiting trial on charges he sexually assaulted and killed Keller and then set her body on fire. His murder trial is to begin June 11.

When ideas were being thrown around on ways to help the Keller family in the wake of the tragedy, the thought of holding an art auction in honor of Toni's desire to become an artist one day took hold, Holderness said.

"We started thinking, (the Keller family) is from out of town, they don't know anyone," Holderness said. "How can we help them?"

The auction will be held at 7 p.m. May 18 at the Sycamore Veterans Memorial Home, 121 S. California St., Sycamore. Money raised will be used to pay for the Plainfield family's food, fuel and lodging expenses during the DeKalb County trial, which could take two to three weeks.

The art auction plan was posted on the "Missing Antinette Keller" Facebook page, and has taken off from there, Holderness said.

Artists from all over the country -- California, Georgia, Arizona -- have donated paintings and other work. Now the goal is to get people to come out for the event, which will feature live and silent auctions as well as raffles and door prizes. A $3 admission will be charged, and all proceeds will go to the family.

The Kellers will donate any money not used for their trial expenses to a charity of their choice. Holderness said she believed that would likely be Habitat for Humanity, because Toni had helped build a house with the group and found it to be a life-altering experience, according to her family.

For people who cannot attend but still want to make a financial donation, checks can be sent to Missing Antinette Keller, P.O. Box 102, Kingston, IL 60145.

The Keller family has been in touch with Toni's friends and supporters via the Facebook page. Diane Keller has asked people to wear yellow -- the color of sunflowers, Toni's favorite -- during court proceedings as a way of helping her cope as she goes through the process.

"My darling beautiful sunflower has been taken from me and her family," Diane Keller wrote. "We will update you on the future proceedings of the trial. It took me 16 months to stop crying long enough to think clear.

"I ask, from the bottom of my heart, for anyone and everyone, who could be there to help me on the most 2nd difficult day of my life, to wear yellow and come to court to get justice for Toni, what i would learn from this is that toni is loved, this crime is not tolerated, and there are so many people that really are caring and loving in this world. if there is anyone who cannot go, it is truly acceptable and prayers would be so enormously powerful! Thank you and God Bless You. Roger and Diane Keller and Family."

Holderness, for one, hopes to be donning yellow on the days that court hearings are held, including the trial itself. She plans to attend the first day, she said.

She said she's been angered that the defense attorney has filed a pre-trial motion that would prohibit anyone attending the trial, including witnesses and family members, from wearing yellow and banning people from gathering in front of the DeKalb County Courthouse in an organized effort being called “Summoning the Yellow.”

"We don't want to do anything to interfere with the process," Holderness said. "We just want to support the family."

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By CAITLIN MULLEN – [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Created: Friday, May 11, 2012 5:30 a.m. CDT

SYCAMORE – The attorney representing the man accused of killing Northern Illinois University student Antinette “Toni” Keller in 2010 said Thursday she will ask the judge to push the trial back.

DeKalb County public defender Regina Harris planned to file a motion Thursday to continue the trial because a psychologist won’t have an evaluation of William “Billy” Curl completed for its start, which is scheduled for June 11. (Just HOW LONG does it take to do an evaluation? This is Ridiculous!!)

She stated her intention Thursday morning during a status hearing at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore. Curl appeared with via closed-circuit TV from the DeKalb County Jail.

Harris said she spoke with the psychologist late Wednesday. Curl has a lengthy mental health history and has received treatment in other places, Harris said.

The psychologist needs the information from those treatments to compile a full report.

Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert asked Harris why she was finding out about this now because Harris indicated the psychologist began her evaluation of Curl a year ago.

Harris said Curl has mentioned to the psychologist that he had received treatment at other places, and the psychologist is looking for reports on those treatments. She said later Thursday she’s not sure exactly sure when Curl told the psychologist about those records.

“It’s become apparent that we don’t have records from all the people who have treated him” and additional records may need to be requested before the psychologist’s evaluation is complete, Harris said.

She said a complete report is necessary to proceed with the trial.

Stuckert asked Harris to get the motion on file so it could be addressed next week.

Prosecutor Phil Montgomery with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office asked whether it could be heard Monday morning, which is the day Stuckert set for the next hearing.

State’s Attorney Clay Campbell said prosecutors are ready for the June trial and will follow the court’s orders.

“We are obviously anxious to get that trial under way,” he said.

Curl, 35, was indicted in January 2011 on five counts of first-degree murder, one count of concealing a homicidal death, one count of arson and one count of criminal sexual assault.

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The simple request from murder victim Toni Keller’s grandmother did not hide the heartbreak.

“We the family would like you to put every court date in the paper,” Joan Knable wrote in a letter to the editor. “The next court date at Sycamore Court House is August 29, 2012.”

Knable is referring to the case against 35-year-old William Curl, who is accused of sexually assaulting and murdering Knable’s 18-year-old granddaughter on Oct. 14, 2010, while the Neuqua Valley grad was a freshman at Northern Illinois University. Curl is accused of killing Toni Keller in what police described as a “crime of opportunity,” then attempting to hide his crime by burning her remains.

When I talked to Knable, she told me she wrote this letter as a gentle reminder: While life went on for the rest of us once we got past the shock of this brutal murder, for those who loved Toni, it came to a screeching halt.

Knable and her family were left to deal not only with the black void of their loss but also the frustrations of dealing with a judicial system that seems to move along at such a snail’s pace.

“They tell us to be patient,” says Knable. “But it is hard. Toni’s father (Roger) just gets so frustrated.”
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“The next court date at Sycamore Court House is August 29, 2012.”

Court date for what, I wonder.

Thanks for keeping up on this, Raine!!

By CAITLIN MULLEN — [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Created: Friday, September 21, 2012 5:30 a.m. CDT

SYCAMORE – Attorneys have a month to file additional motions in the case of the man charged with killing Northern Illinois University student Antinette “Toni” Keller.

William “Billy” Curl, 36, appeared in court Thursday via closed-circuit TV from the DeKalb County Jail. Prosecutors received supporting documentation for a psychological evaluation of Curl, which his attorneys turned over two weeks ago.

Curl’s trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 3, so Oct. 23 was established as the cut-off date for pretrial motions to be filed by either his attorneys or the state.

Prosecutor Phil Montgomery with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office said the state plans to file a motion to exclude testimony from the psychologist who completed the evaluation of Curl.

How the judge rules on that motion will determine whether the case goes to trial in December, Montgomery said.

Curl was indicted in January 2011 on five counts of first-degree murder, one count of concealing a homicidal death, one count of arson and one count of criminal sexual assault in relation to Keller’s death.

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By CAITLIN MULLEN - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Created: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 5:30 a.m. CDT

SYCAMORE – The man accused of killing Northern Illinois University student Antinette “Toni” Keller asked a judge Tuesday to throw out the murder indictments against him.

During a hearing Tuesday at the DeKalb County Courthouse, William “Billy” Curl, 36, of DeKalb, appeared in court via closed-circuit TV from the county jail.

His attorney, interim Public Defender Tom McCulloch, filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the five first-degree murder counts of the indictment because they do not specify what acts caused Keller’s death, which prevents Curl from adequately preparing a defense, according to the motion.

In addition to the murder charges, Curl faces charges of concealing a homicidal death, arson and criminal sexual assault in connection with Keller’s death in October 2010. Curl was indicted in January 2011, and his trial is set to begin Dec. 3.

Keller was last seen Oct. 14, 2010, when she told friends she was going for a walk in Prairie Park. Her burned body was found in the park two days later.

McCulloch said Curl is entitled to know exactly what he’s accused of doing, and defense attorneys have not been given specifics.

“It’s more of a pleading technicality,” he said, adding the law says a defendant can’t be tried on a void indictment, and that’s what defense attorneys are dealing with.

Prosecutor Phil Montgomery with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office had no comment on the motion.

Curl’s defense also asks Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert for a hearing on whether testimony from a witness the state plans to call – Daniel McDevitt, an expert in criminology and major case management – should be allowed.

Montgomery wouldn’t comment on calling McDevitt as a possible witness. McCulloch said he’s opposed to testimony from McDevitt, an ex-police officer, as he wasn’t involved in the investigation of the case.

Prosecutors have asked Stuckert to bar testimony from clinical psychologist Jayne Braden, who conducted a psychological evaluation of Curl. Her report says Curl has a tendency to “distort or fabricate information,” according to court documents.

The state plans to bring up at trial a statement Curl made to police that ties him to Keller’s death, according to the motion. Braden’s observation might cause a jury to think she believes Curl’s statements to police are false, when she has not offered an opinion as to whether what he told police is true or not.

McCulloch had no comment on that motion.

Montgomery has said Stuckert’s decision on the motion regarding Braden could determine whether the case goes to trial when scheduled.

“Some of that depends on the judge’s ruling, but we will be ready to go to trial on Dec. 3,” Montgomery said when asked Tuesday about the likelihood of the December date.

McCulloch said it’s still too early to say, since some of the motions could affect the trial date. A hearing on the motions was set for Nov. 13.

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William Curl's trial is set to begin Dec. 3 for the murder of Annette Keller.

Medical tests could affect Curl trial schedule

By JEFF ENGELHARDT - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Created: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 5:30 a.m. CST

SYCAMORE – The murder trial of William “Billy” Curl could be delayed because of his poor hearing.

Curl, the 36-year-old DeKalb man accused of killing Northern Illinois University student Antinette “Toni” Keller in October 2010, might not be ready to stand trial by Dec. 3 if CT scans show problems with his hearing.

Interim Public Defender Tom McCulloch, Curl’s attorney, told Presiding Judge Robbin Stuckert they were awaiting results of medical tests Curl took Tuesday. Curl originally was supposed to appear in court via closed-circuit TV from the county jail Tuesday but had to be transported to the courthouse because of difficulties hearing.

Stuckert has instructed court staff to explore technology such as voice recognition computer programs.

McCulloch said Curl also has difficulty reading, so the technology may not be much help.

Stuckert said she still planned to move forward with the trial Dec. 3, but she scheduled a hearing for Friday morning to review the results of the CT scans and address other motions.

Curl’s attorneys have asked Stuckert to dismiss the five first-degree murder counts in the indictment because they do not specify what acts caused Keller’s death. Defense attorneys are arguing they need that information to prepare a defense.

Curl’s attorneys also have asked for a hearing on whether testimony from a witness the state intends to call – Daniel McDevitt, an expert in criminology and major case management – should be allowed.

Prosecutors want Stuckert to bar testimony from clinical psychologist Jayne Braden, who conducted a psychological evaluation of Curl. Her report says Curl has a tendency to “distort or fabricate information,” according to court documents.

Curl also faces charges of concealing a homicidal death, arson and criminal sexual assault in connection with Keller’s death.

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What a crock!! He can't hear or read but can sexually assault and Murder a beautiful, innocent woman!

By Shannon Antinori Email the author 5:55 am

After more than two years of waiting, the family of murdered Northern Illinois University freshman Antinette "Toni" Keller could finally see the wheels of justice begin to turn, with a new trial date for accused killer William Curl.

But in a bitter twist, the new start date — Jan. 14, 2013 — has another meaning for Roger and Diane Keller. That's the day their daughter would have celebrated her 21st birthday.

Medical tests revealed that Curl, 36, has hearing problems that could affect his ability to understand what's happening at his murder trial, according to his attorneys.

The trial has been pushed back yet again — it's already been delayed twice — so that Curl can be fitted for hearing aids, according to Keller family friend Thelma Holderness.

The new date, set during a Nov. 16 court hearing, is another blow to the family, Holderness said. Read the DeKalb Daily Chronicle's report on the Nov. 16 hearing.

"This is beyond cruel. This is beyond insensitive," she said. "Roger stood and he said to the court, 'Just so you know, that is Toni's birthday.'"

Holderness said Roger Keller was admonished by a bailiff not to speak out of turn during court proceedings. The court-appointed advocate was also instructed to speak to him about keeping his composure in the courtroom, she said.

"This is about treating the family with dignity and respect," an angry Holderness said Friday. Though Stuckert suggested Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 as potential trial dates, the court ultimately settled on the latter, she said.

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Curl is accused of sexually assaulting and murdering Keller, 18, a Plainfield resident and NIU art major. Keller vanished Oct. 14, 2010, after telling friends she was going to a DeKalb park to take photos for an art assignment.

Her remains, which were burned beyond recognition, were found in the park two days later.

Curl is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, criminal sexual assault, one count of arson and one count of concealing a homicidal death.

Last month, Curl’s lawyers filed a motion seeking to dismiss all five murder charges because they don’t specify how Curl allegedly killed Toni. The attorneys say that prevents them from preparing a defense.

Stuckert is scheduled to rule on the motion during a Dec. 6 hearing, Holderness said.

The newest delay is the third time the trial date has been pushed back. It was initially slated to begin in May before being delayed until June. That same month, the judge agreed to again postpone the trial until December to allow for psychological evaluations of Curl to be completed.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

December 19, 2012 (SYCAMORE, Ill.) --

The Daily Chronicle reports that a judge delayed William Curl's trial again on Monday. Judge Robbin Stuckert gave prosecutors more time to hire and prepare a forensic psychology expert. The 36-year-old Curl is accused of killing freshman Antinette "Toni" Keller in October 2010. Her burned body was found in a park two days after she went missing.

Curl's trial was scheduled for Dec. 3, but was rescheduled for Jan. 14 so Curl could be fitted for hearing aids. It is now scheduled to start April 11.

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By JEFF ENGELHARDT - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Created: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 5:32 p.m. CDT
Updated: Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:11 a.m. CDT

SYCAMORE – William Curl's trial for the murder of Antinette "Toni" Keller will begin as scheduled April 11 after a judge denied defense attorneys' request Wednesday for more time.

Public Defender Tom McCulloch asked Judge Robbin Stuckert for a later trial date because he was concerned prosecutors were going to call an expert psychologist without divulging the name or background information until days before the trial....

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William Curl has "tentatively indicated" he will plead guilty to the murder of NIU student Antinette "Toni" Keller. As part of the agreement, Curl will be sentenced to 37 years in jail.
Keller was reported missing in October 2010. Burned human remains were found in the park on Oct. 16, but it was not until Jan. 6 DNA testing confirmed the remains were Keller's. In February 2011, Curl was indicted by a grand jury on five counts of first degree murder, one count of concealment of a homicidal death, one count of arson, and one count of criminal sexual assault.
He pleaded not guilty on Feb. 22, 2011.
"I can say that if 37 years is the sentence it is unjust for all Toni endured at this man's hands," said Thelma Holderness, who runs the Facebook page for Summoning of Yellow, a Keller remembrance page.
According to a release from the Office of the DeKalb County State's Attorney, the office believes this to be the longest sentence imposed at 100 percent on a negotiated plea to a non-death penalty eligible murder in the county since at least 1980.
Keller's family has been advised of the sentence, according to the Office of the DeKalb County State's Attorney. The plea is expected to take place Wednesday.
Richard Schmack, DeKalb County state's attorney, declined to comment.

Timeline:
Oct. 14, 2010: Keller was last seen
Oct. 16, 2010: Remains found in DeKalb park
Oct. 23, 2010: Curl leaves Illinois
Oct. 26, 2010: Curl arrested in Louisiana
Oct. 29, 2010: Curl charged with murder
Oct. 30, 2010: Curl’s first court appearance
Nov. 24, 2010: DNA sample requested from Curl
Nov. 30, 2010: Curl agrees to give DNA sample
Jan. 6, 2011: DNA test confirms remains found in park are Keller’s
Feb. 1, 2011: Grand Jury indicts Curl on five counts in the murder of Keller
Feb. 17, 2011: Curl deemed psychologically stable to stand trial
Feb. 22, 2011: Curl pleads not guilty to all counts
March 10, 2011: Death penalty no longer possible in William Curl trial--Gov. Pat Quinn abolishes death penalty
March 23, 2011: Keller remains requested to be given to family for memorial
April 3, 2011: Keller family to receive remains
May 1, 2011: Prosecutors say Curl gave conflicting reports on death of NIU student
June 21, 2011: Curl defense receives apartment surveillance video, awaits DNA test on landfill shoes
Nov. 18, 2011: Curl’s trial date rescheduled for third time
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He has dead eyes. Scary!

Suspect in NIU student slaying enters plea

Posted: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 2:50 pm | Updated: 1:30 am, Thu Apr 4, 2013.

SYCAMORE, Ill. (AP) — A 36-year-old man charged in the 2010 slaying of a Northern Illinois University student whose burned body was found in a park days after she disappeared entered a plea in exchange for a 37-year prison sentence on Wednesday.

William Curl's attorney said his client took the plea deal in the slaying of 18-year-old Antinette "Toni" Keller because it gave him the best chance to someday walk out of prison. Curl must serve the entire 37-year sentence, according to the plea deal.

"If he was convicted, he was looking at 20-60 years and it could have been extended up to life," said DeKalb County Public Defender Tom McCulloch. "At least (now) he has a chance of getting out," he said. Given the nearly-three years he's already been in custody, Curl would complete his sentence when he is in his early 70s.
Keller's family members were disturbed by that possibility.
"It's just the concept that he could be released," said Mary Tarling, the victim's cousin who has served as a family spokeswoman. "When people say it's going to be 37 years until he's released, the only thing I hear is 'until he's released.'"

McCulloch said the 20-minute hearing brought a swift ending to a gruesome case that has been in and out of the news since the charred body of the 18-year-old NIU freshman was found in a park near the campus two days after she vanished. With the scheduled trial just days away, prosecutors announced Tuesday that Curl had agreed to the plea deal.

Keller's family did not attend on Wednesday because nobody told them the plea would definitely be happening, according to a family spokeswoman. Instead, McCulloch said a victim impact statement they'd prepared was read into the court record.

"When your child dies, a piece of you ceases to exist," read a portion of a statement from the girl's mother that was read by a state's attorney official.
There was no apology or any statement from Curl, McCulloch said. Even though he entered a plea in return for the 37-year sentence, Curl has never admitted to killing the teenager.

"He maintains his innocence," said McCulloch, explaining that Curl entered what is called an Alford plea, which acknowledges that prosecutors could likely prove the charge filed against him.

Curl's sister, Moira Curl, loudly voiced her displeasure during Wednesday's proceeding, urging her brother not to accept the plea deal: "Billy, don't take it. They're railroading you," she yelled before being removed from the courtroom by deputies.

Keller, an art student from Plainfield, was last seen before she headed to a park and nature preserve near the university. Burned remains were found in the park two days later, and forensic experts later confirmed the remains were human. Police found Keller's burned clothing and her cellphone near the remains, prosecutors said.
Police said Curl was a person of interest because he was known to frequent the park. They said he became a suspect after he failed to show up for further questioning and fled to Mexico in a stolen SUV. Investigators said Keller's death was a crime of opportunity and Curl did not know her.

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