New Lenox Township Murder Case Gets Pushed Back

A Chicago man jailed more than a year on murder charges made a brief court appearance Nov. 5. By agreement of both the prosecuting attorney and the defense, the case of Rodney Julun has been pushed back four months. The trial date was set for March 18, 2013.

Rodney Julun, 24, was returned to the Will County Adult Detention Facility after his lawyer explained that he needed time to go over evidence recently turned over by prosecutors. It was agreed that Julun's family would be providing his trial clothes and dropping them off at the jail.   

Read more about the defense's claims that Julun was treated poorly during the interrogation.

Julun allegedly beat 59-year-old Dwight Jones to death in June 2011. Jones and Julun met on Chicago's South Side, police said, and Jones invited him back to his home for a drink.

Julun bludgeoned Jones to death with a lamp, police said.

Police said that after killing Jones, Julun returned to the dead man's New Lenox Township house with two associates from Chicago. The three men proceeded to loot the place over the next couple days. Jones lay dead while his house was cleaned out.

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The other two men linked to Julun's crimes—John White, 21, and David Reed, 24—pleaded guilty in February to burglary. They are both doing time in Vandalia Correctional Center.

Prosecutors plan to call White and Reed to testify against Julun.

In October, Julun's defense attorney Michael Renzi informed Will County Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak that he needed more time to review the evidence. At that time, the judge set the next date for review in November.

Read more about the Julun trial here.