Joliet man sentenced to 23 years in prison for arson murder of grandmother

A Joliet man was sentenced to 23 years in prison after he was convicted of the 2019 first-degree murder of his grandmother by setting her home on fire.

After more than six years, the case against William Vera, 38, concluded on Thursday with him pleading guilty to the first-degree murder of Teresa Collado, 87, according to Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office.

Vera was sentenced to serve 100% of a 23-year prison sentence and credited with already serving more than six years in jail.

Collado died following a fire on March 22, 2019, at her residence in the 1900 block of Glacier Ridge Drive. The location is within Joliet city limits but has a Plainfield mailing address.

About 76% of Collado’s body suffered burns from the fire, and she had soot in the airways of her respiratory system, according to reports from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Vera, who is “mentally challenged” and lived with Collado, apparently “heard voices,” according to the medical examiner’s office.

Vera poured gasoline in a vase, put paper towels in the vase and set it on fire on the first floor of the residence, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Vera has been found guilty of Collado’s murder, but mentally ill. That verdict means the Illinois Department of Corrections must provide mental health treatment for Vera.

About four months into Vera’s case, he was found mentally fit to stand trial. The case faced delays over the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but then it was set for a plea hearing in 2021.

At that point, Vera filed several motions on his own, including a motion to dismiss the case. The court docket did not show any ruling on Vera’s motions.

Vera’s motions claimed his judgment was altered by the consumption of psychotropic medication, and he had no cognitive ability to understand the charges against him.

Another mental fitness evaluation was ordered for Vera. In 2024, Vera was once again found mentally fit for trial.

Over the past year, Vera’s case was repeatedly scheduled for either plea hearings or the scheduling of a trial.