By Jim Sterne
News Editor
Dennis Richard Freer, 47, of the 3800 block of N. Bell Ave., was arrested Oct. 9 for the murder of Rocco “Rockey” Bellavia,84, on Sept. 28. Freer lived in the neighborhood for 15 years and knew the victim.
Freer was found sleeping in Bellavia’s ‘97 Mercury Sable parked near Portage, WI. Freer had lost his job and his apartment so Bellavilla’s car was full of Freer’s possessions. Police said it looked as if Freer was living in the automobile.
Freer told police that he asked Bellavilla who was in his garage in the 3200 block of N. Hoyne Ave. for his car. Freer wanted to get to his family in Wisconsin. Bellavia resisted so Freer struck him with a rock, killing him.
In a hearing near Portage on Oct. 11, Judge Daniel George of Columbia County allowed Freer to reconsider his waiving extradition to Cook County, a decision he made without a lawyer. Freer got an attorney who decided to fight the extradition because Wisconsin does not have the death penalty for murder and Illinois does. This is the same situation the United states suspects face in a country that does not have the death penalty and the United States wants to extradite them to this country. |
Printable Version