Closing arguments made in 2018 Joliet Township murder trial

A judge will decide whether a man deliberately shot and killed another man more than five years ago following a drug deal gone wrong in Joliet Township.

Both parties in the trial for Elijah Watson, 28, made their final case on Monday to Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius. Watson is on trial on charges of the Oct. 28, 2018 first-degree murder of Nathan Ballard, 20, and unlawful use of a weapon by felon.

Cornelius said he plans to deliver his verdict on Tuesday morning.

Watson had also faced charges of first-degree murder under the felony murder rule and armed robbery. But Cornelius dismissed those charges on Monday following a motion for directed finding from Anna Bertani, one of Watson’s attorneys.

Cornelius said there was not sufficient evidence to show there was an agreement or discussion between Watson and Anthony Francimore, 25, of Joliet, to rob Ballard before he was gunned down.

Last year, a jury did find Francimore guilty of armed robbery and the first-degree murder of Ballard. Although Francimore did not fire the shots that killed Ballard, he was held accountable for Ballard’s murder.

Francimore has not yet been sentenced. He filed a motion claiming he was given ineffective legal representation. The motion is set for a hearing on Friday.

On Monday, Bertani argued Watson had no intention to “kill anyone that night.”

She said Watson fired gunshots to scare off the group of people who surrounded a vehicle occupied by him, Francimore and several others.

The people outside the vehicle included Ballard and his brother, the latter of whom Bertani said was standing in front of the vehicle to prevent it from leaving. She said Ballard himself was pulling on the door handle of the vehicle.

“They’re scared. It’s dark. They don’t know these people,” Bertani said of the vehicle’s occupants.

Bertani contended if Watson had any culpability in the situation, it was that his actions were reckless.

Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Vukmir argued Watson did have the intention to kill Ballard because he leaned out of the vehicle’s window and fired his gun multiple times in Ballard’s direction.

Vukmir said one of those shots from Watson’s gun struck Ballard in the chest, which would have required him to aim his gun at Ballard.

“It had to have been an aimed, intentional shot,” Vukmir said.

Vukmir said the Ballard brothers did not pose a threat to Watson and others as they were in standing in the street while the vehicle was leaving the scene.