Crime & Safety
State to Finish Pretrial Murder Investigation Against Allan Kustok
A year and a half later, Kustok's defense attorneys will soon begin a pretrial investigation of its own, one that may rely in part on conflicting forensic opinion.
By the time they return to court next month, Cook County prosecutors expect to have a complete picture of what happened Sept. 29, 2010, inside the house next to the horse farm on Royal Oaks Lane.
Since , assistant state’s attorneys and Orland Park detectives have been steadily building a first-degree murder case.
Appearing briefly in court on Monday, special prosecutor Jennifer Gonzalez said she was waiting only on a report from a forensic expert, which was supposed to arrive any day by mail, before wrapping up the state’s pretrial discovery.
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Outside the courtroom, Kustok’s attorney, Rick Beuke, offered no hints regarding the type of experts he is looking to call or the type of trial he is preparing for, noting only that he and his client would make those decisions after reviewing all of the state’s evidence.
Authorities allege Kustok put and pulled the trigger, whereas Beuke has claimed and found his wife lying next to him, arms folded, dead.
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Beuke’s own investigation—following the state’s nearly 19-month effort—would be conducted “as expeditiously as possible,” he said.
By Judge John J. Hynes’ decree, .
