Trial Date Set For Soldier Charged in 2009 New Lenox Township Murder

A man charged with murdering his uncle more than three and a half years ago got a July trial date during a Friday morning hearing.

And when 27-year-old Jason Gonzalez does go to trial, he can act as his own attorney.

Gonzalez, who was stationed in Guantanamo Bay during his eight months in the Army in 2005 and 2006, has been representing himself during pretrial matters and plans to continue to do so at his trial. Judge Edward Burmila said a public defender will still be present during the trial, as one has been at pretrial hearings.

Gonzalez has been jailed since September 2009 on charges he murdered his uncle Lance Goebel. Gonzalez allegedly shot Goebel numerous times with a 9-mm handgun, then stole $1,000 and his uncle's Chevy HHR. The vehicle was later located about a mile from Goebel's residence in New Lenox Township.

Goebel's wife found her husband dead in the home. Several days later, the police caught Gonzalez sleeping in his mother's 1997 Saturn, which he reportedly borrowed from her shortly before the killing. Gonzalez was parked behind a bush on Larkin Avenue in Joliet, police said.

Gonzalez had lived with Goebel but his uncle kicked him out not long before the murder, police said. In between his departure from his uncle's home and the killing, Gonzalez sent an email to an aunt living in Seattle and told her he was going to "get even" with Goebel, according to court papers.

Gonzalez's time in the Army was cut short when he was discharged for medical reasons in April 2006, according to a filing which claimed Gonzalez was "given a diagnosis of personality disorder with passive aggressive and borderline features."

The filing also said that prior to his discharge, Gonzalez suffered from "major depressive disorder, moderate severe, single episode, though complicated by longer-standing personality traits."

Court papers identified Gonzalez as a professional paintball player, but an affidavit in his file said he had no income or assets.

Gonzalez reportedly admitted to detectives that he was at the house when his uncle was killed but denied shooting him. Gonzalez reportedly claimed two other men, one named "Matthew" and the other "Armon," were with him, and that he gave his 9-mm to "Matthew" after telling him there was a money in the house.

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