Tennessee Man To Testify At Boshears' Murder Trial: Prosecutors

Joliet IL

06 December, 2021

11:00 AM

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JOLIET, IL — The Will County State's Attorney's Office has asked Judge Dave Carlson to secure the attendance of a man who lives in Tennessee, so he can testify against Jeremy Boshears at next month's first-degree murder trial. Now 36, Boshears has lived inside the Will County Jail since Nov. 18, 2017 and his bail is $10 million. The Coal City man is charged in connection with the death of 25-year-old Woody's bartender Katie Kearns. She vanished after working at Woody's and her body was found several days later about 60 miles away, in rural Kankakee County. She died from a gunshot wound to her head. According to the prosecution's motion, Boshears is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death. "The State expects James McCoy to testify that he had a phone conversation with the defendant at approximately 2:20 a.m. shortly after the alleged murder of Kaitlyn Kearns, where defendant told James McCoy he needed to see him right away and indicated to James McCoy that he had f***** up or was f***** up," Assistant State's Attorney Daniel Egan stated. These days, McCoy lives in Holladay, Tennessee, prosecutors informed Judge Carlson. The Boshears trial is set to start Jan. 10 and McCoy is needed to testify around Jan. 13, the motion stated. According to prosecutors, Kearns was Boshears' new girlfriend at the time of her gunshot death inside the Joliet Outlaws building in the Ingalls Park area. According to Egan, "the State's Attorney's Office submits that James McCoy is a material witness in this cause ... the presence of James McCoy will be needed for approximately three days, including one day of travel from the state of Tennessee to the state of Illinois and one day of travel between the state of Illinois and the state of Tennessee." Judge Carlson is expected to issue a decision on Egan's motion during a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The Boshears trial was originally scheduled to begin in October, however, Judge Vincent Cornelius recused himself from the case, prompting the case to get reassigned to Courtroom 405 of Carlson. Boshears is represented by Joliet criminal defense attorney Chuck Bretz. A forensic expert retained by Bretz plans to testify that Kearns fatally shot herself inside the Joliet Outlaws clubhouse, which is part of the Ingalls Park area of Joliet Township. The investigation that led to Boshears' arrest was spearheaded by the Will County Sheriff's Office. Related Joliet Patch coverage: Joliet Outlaws Murder Case: Defense Wins Pretrial Ruling Jeremy Boshears Shouldn't Call Expert Witness: Glasgow Katie Kearns' Death: Prosecutors Lose Another Pretrial Ruling Will County Judge Dave Carlson will preside over Jeremy Boshears' murder trial set to begin Jan. 10 in Courtroom 405. File/John Ferak/Patch