KANKAKEE — Darius Sullivan’s court hearing on Friday regarding a motion to suppress the statement he gave to police following his Dec. 31, 2021, arrest for the alleged killing of Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic, was rescheduled for a second time.
Sullivan, of Bourbonnais, is asking Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott to prevent the statement against him from being used during his trial on charges of shooting and killing Rittmanic and seriously wounding Bradley Police Sgt. Tyler Bailey.
During a Nov. 9, 2022, court date, the hearing was rescheduled because Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe and Chief Public Defender Ed Pentuic, who is defending Sullivan, were working on the stipulation.
The stipulation is in regard to a transcript of Sullivan’s statement.
The motion hearing is scheduled for April 21. Before that date, each side will file a brief arguing their positions.
At the Nov. 9 court appearance, Sullivan also gave Bradshaw-Elliott permission to view the lengthy video.
Pentuic said the first eight minutes of the statement is key to the motion.
During Friday’s court appearance, the 26-year-old Sullivan appeared via closed circuit TV from Jerome Combs Detention Center. He did not talk during the appearance, which lasted approximately 10 minutes.
Elliott said she viewed the interview. She said it was hard at times to hear what was being said in the interview.
“As both sides agree, it was hard to hear exactly what the defendant is saying,” Bradshaw-Elliott said.
The interview with police took place following Sullivan’s Dec. 31 arrest.
The shooting occurred Dec. 29, 2021, at the Comfort Inn property in Bradley.
Rittmanic and Bailey had responded to the Bradley hotel in regard to a dog barking in a car in the hotel’s parking lot, according to police.
Sullivan and his girlfriend, Xandria Harris, 27, of Bradley, were both indicted by a Kankakee County grand jury Jan. 21, 2022. They are both charged with first-degree murder in Rittmanic’s death and attempted murder in the shooting of Bailey.
Jeff Bonty is a reporter for The Daily Journal. He can be reached at jbonty@daily-journal.com and 815-937-3366.
Jeff Bonty has worked for The Daily Journal since September 1986, starting in the sports department before moving to news reporting in 2002. He's a native of Indiana and graduate of Purdue University. His email is jbonty@daily-journal.com.
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