Michael Kazecki Murder Case: Charges, Bond, and Trial Delays

Michael Kazecki, a former Joliet, Illinois, junior high school teacher, faces three counts of first-degree murder and one count of domestic battery in the August 2018 death of his wife, Rebecca “Becky” Kazecki. Prosecutors say he beat her over three days at their home, causing fatal head injuries. More than eight years after the charges were filed, the Michael Kazecki murder case has still not gone to trial. A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin September 8, 2026, in Will County Circuit Court, and Kazecki has been free on bond since August 30, 2018.¹

What Prosecutors Say Happened

According to prosecutors, the violence began on Saturday, August 4, 2018, after Rebecca Kazecki tried to intervene while Michael Kazecki was disciplining their 11-year-old son. Prosecutors allege he then hit and kicked his wife repeatedly over three days.²

On Monday, August 6, Rebecca Kazecki lost consciousness. Michael Kazecki called 911, initially reporting that his wife had suffered a “medical issue” and was unresponsive.³ By one account, he initially told emergency responders she was suffering from alcohol poisoning.⁴ She was taken to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, where staff determined her injuries were consistent with a severe beating.² Rebecca Kazecki, 38, was pronounced dead at approximately 4:30 p.m. on August 7, 2018.⁵

An autopsy performed by Dr. Valerie Arangelovich of the Will County Coroner’s Office concluded that Rebecca Kazecki died from cerebral injuries caused by blunt force trauma due to assault.³ The coroner’s office indicated the manner of death appeared to be homicide.⁶

The Charges and Release on Bond

On August 6, 2018, Kazecki agreed to go to the Joliet police station. After being advised of his Miranda rights, he provided statements to Detective Dave Jackson.³ Prosecutors later said he also signed a letter “taking responsibility for the incident.”²

Kazecki was initially charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated domestic battery. On August 8, 2018, prosecutors added a first-degree murder charge during an appearance before Will County Circuit Judge Ben Braun, who set bail at $2 million after prosecutors sought $5 million.²⁷ The charges ultimately grew to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of domestic battery.⁶

On August 30, 2018, Kazecki’s family posted $200,000, the required 10 percent of his $2 million bond, and he was released from the Will County Jail. As a condition of release, he was barred from any contact with his three sons, who had been placed in protective custody with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. His attorney has maintained from the outset that Kazecki “greatly contests” the charges.⁸

Why the Case Has Taken Over Eight Years

The case, filed in August 2018 under Will County case number 2018CF001548, has been pending more than eight years and has been driven largely by pretrial fights over Kazecki’s police statements and the autopsy evidence.⁹

The Fight Over Kazecki’s Police Statements

Defense attorney Nathaniel Tate, of the Law Offices of Edward R. Jaquays in Joliet, filed a motion to suppress the statements Kazecki made to Detective Jackson, arguing that Joliet police violated his client’s due process rights under the Illinois Constitution. The defense said Tate’s firm had been retained by Kazecki’s family and an attorney from the firm was physically present at the police station, but officers denied the attorney access to Kazecki. According to the defense, police told Kazecki an attorney was present but did not tell him the attorney had been specifically retained on his behalf, making any waiver of counsel involuntary.¹⁰

That motion consumed much of 2024. After 11 months of hearings, Will County Judge Daniel Rippy denied the amended motion to suppress in September 2024.¹¹ In October 2025, after the case was reassigned to Judge Amy Christiansen, the defense raised the issue again through a motion seeking to bar the same statements based on potential police lobby surveillance video. Judge Christiansen denied it, calling it “another bite of the same apple” and finding the motion “had no legal merit whatsoever.”¹²

The Prosecution’s Attempt to Remove Tate

Prosecutors moved to disqualify Tate, arguing that because he had been present at the police station during the events central to the suppression motion, he was both an advocate and a witness. Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Krone said at least one officer would testify in contradiction to some of Tate’s factual claims. Judge Rippy denied the motion and ruled Tate could remain as lead counsel.³

The Autopsy and Forensic Evidence

The defense also moved to bar physical evidence and expert testimony related to the autopsy, challenging the chain of custody of 11 histology slides and seeking to exclude testimony from three expert witnesses: Dr. Arangelovich; Dr. Marc Reyes, a neuropathologist who examined brain and spinal cord tissue; and Dr. Michelle Jorden, a neuropathologist retained by the state after Dr. Reyes became unavailable. The defense argued the evidence lacked “foundational certainty” and was more prejudicial than probative. Prosecutors responded that the defense had cited no legal authority to bar coroner’s office testimony outright and had produced no evidence of tampering, pointing to a coroner’s file memo and a UPS shipping receipt tracking tissue samples sent to Mt. Sinai Hospital.¹³

Forensic disputes have continued to push the trial back. In April 2026, the court allowed a defense expert to observe a forensic examination of the victim’s brain, and in May 2026 the court ordered newly prepared histology slides to be provided to the defense expert for review.¹

Trial Dates That Kept Slipping

A trial initially set for February 2024 was canceled after the defense filed the suppression motion. Once that motion was denied in September 2024, a new trial date of July 2025 was set, and it too was postponed.⁷

In October 2025, Judge Christiansen said the case had “taken entirely too long” and set what she called a “firm trial date” of July 13, 2026, with “no further continuances.” Prosecutors had sought a summer date so that minor witnesses would be available to testify.¹⁴ The “firm” date did not hold. In June 2026, both sides agreed to move the trial to September 8, 2026, because forensic analysis remained incomplete. A status hearing on the forensic work is scheduled for July 20, 2026.¹

What Happened to the Children

The Kazeckis had three sons: Roman, then 11; Jackson, then 9; and William, then 5.¹⁵ On August 9, 2018, Will County Judge Paula Gomora ordered the three boys into shelter care and temporary DCFS custody. The judge specifically directed that the children not be placed with paternal relatives, after prosecutors argued the boys were witnesses in the criminal case and such placement would not be in their best interest.¹⁶

Where the Case Stands Now

As of mid-2026, Kazecki, now 45, remains on pretrial release and resides in Oak Lawn, Illinois.¹⁴ The jury trial is currently set to begin September 8, 2026, in Will County Circuit Court, with a July 20, 2026 status hearing on the outstanding forensic analysis.¹

1
Shaw Local News Network. Ex-Joliet Teacher Charged in Wife’s 2018 Murder Has Trial Delayed Again
2
Chicago Tribune. Joliet Teacher Allegedly Beaten for Days Before Her Death; Husband Also a Teacher Is Charged With Murder
3
Patch. Ex-Joliet Teacher Michael Kazecki Learns Whether His Lawyer Can Stay
4
Oxygen. Michael Kazecki, Illinois Teacher, Beat Wife Rebecca Kazecki to Death, Police Say
5
ABC7 Chicago. Joliet Teacher Charged in Fatal Beating of His Wife
6
NBC Chicago. Man Charged With Killing Wife; Both Were Teachers at Suburban School District
7
Shaw Local News Network. Ex-Joliet Teacher’s First-Degree Murder Case Given New Trial Date
8
Chicago Tribune. Joliet Teacher Accused of Beating Wife to Death Over Several Days Released From Jail
9
Will County Circuit Court. Attorney Schedule
10
Patch. Joliet Teacher’s Homicide: Did Police Violate Husband’s Rights?
11
Patch. District 86 Teacher’s Murder: Michael Kazecki Loses Pretrial Motion
12
Patch. Joliet Murder Defendant Who Has Avoided Standing Trial Loses Latest Motion
13
Patch. Joliet Murder Defendant Michael Kazecki Wants to Stop Prosecutors Revealing Autopsy
14
Shaw Local News Network. Ex-Joliet Teacher’s 2018 Murder Case Given Firm 2026 Trial Date
15
Patch. GoFundMe for Slain Joliet Teacher’s 3 Young Sons
16
Shaw Local News Network. Judge Orders Children of Alleged Wife Killer to Be Placed in Shelter Care