GUILTY IL - Holly Cassano, 22, stabbed to death, Mahomet, 2 November 2009 *Arrest*

[Niner]

Thanks a bunch Lynetta! Much appreciated!

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, December 3rd:
*Pretrial Hearing (possession @ 9am; murder @ 10am ET) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial set to begin 2/10/20 with jury selection. Trial should last 1 week.
Court hearings from 8/31/18 to 8/20/19 reference post #74 here:
Found Deceased - IL - Holly Cassano, 22, Mahomet, 2 November 2009
9/16/19 Update: Murder charge: Next hearing on 9/24. Possession Charge: Next hearing on 12/3.
9/24/19 Update: Continuance of trial granted. Murder: hearing continued to 11/26. 11/26/19: Murder: Next pretrial conference hearing on 12/3. Trial has been set for 2/10/20 with jury selection. Trial should last about a week.

 

[Niner]

@Lynetta - any updates on a court date before the trial date on 2/10?

TIA!

 

[Lynetta]

Domestic Battery: #2018CF000577
Possession: #2018CF000685

Defendant's motion for continuance.
Motion allowed. Matter allotted for the pre-trial conference Mar 10, 2020 09:00 AM


*Murder case: #2018CF001212 is still set for 02/10/2020 at 9:00 AM

 

[Niner]

Thanks a bunch Lynetta! Much appreciated!

 

[Niner]

Looks like he had a hearing on 1/22/20

Cassano case: Judge rules jury can hear what accused told police after 2018 arrest

• 4 hrs ago - Jan. 23, 2020

URBANA — A Champaign County jury will be allowed to hear what Michael Henslick told Champaign County sheriff’s investigators about his alleged role in the rape and murder of his former high school classmate and mobile-home park neighbor.

Exactly how much the jury hears of his 5½-hour interaction with police on Aug. 28, 2018, remains to be determined as attorneys slog through pretrial motions in an attempt to refine their respective cases.
[.....]
His defense team, First Assistant Public Defender Lindsey Yanchus and Assistant Public Defender Andrea Bergstrom, had sought to keep his statement from the jury, arguing that he had not voluntarily given it.

In a three-hour hearing Wednesday, State’s Attorney Julia Rietz and First Assistant State’s Attorney Troy Lozar sought to prove otherwise by having the men involved in Henslick’s arrest and subsequent interrogation on Aug. 28, 2018, testify about the circumstances surrounding both.
[.....]
Ladd came down on the side of the state, finding that nothing that happened during the lengthy interview smacked of pressure, coercion or trickery by the seasoned detectives.

 

[Niner]

Monday, February 10th:
*Trial set to begin (Murder case) (@ 9am CT) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30/now 31) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial set to begin 2/10/20 with jury selection for murder charge. Trial should last 1 week.
Possession & domestic battery case: pretrial hearing on 3/10/20.

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, February 11th:
*Trial continues (Day 2) (Murder case) (@ 9am CT) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30/now 31) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial began on 2/10/20 with jury selection for murder charge. Trial should last 1 week.
Possession & domestic battery case: pretrial hearing on 3/10/20.
2/10/20 Day 1: Jury selection? No actual info available. Trial continues to 2/11.

 

[Lynetta]

Powerful testimony heard at start of trial for accused Cassano killer


Jurors and observers could be heard quietly weeping in court as the mother of Holly Cassano described finding her daughter's body.

[...] Toni Cassano found Holly "lying on the floor on her back face up" on Nov. 2, 2009, in her Mahomet home. She said her daughter was naked and covered in stab wounds, and that her clothing had been moved around.

In that gut-wrenching moment, Toni Cassano said she felt "very cold, very stiff". She then put her hand on her daughter's leg and sat down next to her.


"I said a prayer to God, then called 911," she said in court Tuesday. "I stayed inside just a few more minutes, then forced myself to go outside because I do not want to contaminate anything."

[...]

Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz said Cassano had as many as 60 stab wounds, some of which were defensive. According to her, DNA from the scene linked Henslick to the crime.

[...]

Toni Cassano was the fourth of a total of 19 anticipated witnesses as Henslick's trial moves forward.

 

[Niner]

Wednesday, February 12th:
*Trial continues (Day 3) (Murder case) (@ 9am CT) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30/now 31) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial began on 2/10/20 with jury selection for murder charge. Trial should last 1 week. Jurors: 8 women & 4 men.
Possession & domestic battery case: pretrial hearing on 3/10/20.
2/10/20 Monday Day 1: Jury selection started about 1:30pm. Jury has been selected. Trial continues to 2/11.
2/11/20 Tuesday Day 2: Opening statements by: Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz & First Assistant Public Defender Lindsey Yanchus. State witnesses: 3 other people-no names given. Toni Cassano (Holly's mother). No other info available. Trial continues to 2/12.

 

[mrsb2001]

This is so sad! Until now...it hadn't been released that he was in her home that night and they had a conversation! This evil monster! Drove past the courthouse today and said a prayer for her family .

 

[Niner]

Thursday, February 13th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (Murder case) (@ 9am CT) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30/now 31) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
Possession & domestic battery case: pretrial hearing on 3/10/20.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial began on 2/10/20 with jury selection for murder charge. Trial should last 1 week. Jurors: 8 women & 4 men.
2/10/20 Monday Day 1: Jury selection started about 1:30pm. Jury has been selected. Trial continues to 2/11.
2/11/20 Tuesday Day 2: Opening statements by: Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz & First Assistant Public Defender Lindsey Yanchus. State witnesses: 3 other people-no names given. Toni Cassano (Holly's mother). No other info available. Trial continues to 2/12.
2/12/20 Wednesday Day 3: No info available. Trial continues on 2/13.

 

[Niner]

Friday, February 14th:
*Trial continues (Day 4) (Murder case) (@ 9am CT) – IL – Holly Cassano (22) (Nov. 2, 2009, Mahomet) – *Michael F.A. Henslick (30/now 31) arrested (8/29/18) originally for violation of a no-contact order & arraigned (8/29/18) on 3 counts intentional 1st degree murder & 1 count of murder. Plead not guilty. $10M bond.
*Charged (5/18/18) with possession of control substance & criminal damage to property, domestic battery & contact violation.
12/3/19 Update: Motion for continuance granted. Possession & domestic battery case: pretrial hearing on 3/10/20.
DNA testing by Parabon Nanolabs.
Trial began on 2/10/20 with jury selection for murder charge. Trial should last 1 week. Jurors: 8 women & 4 men.
2/10/20 Monday Day 1 of Jury selection started about 1:30pm. Jury has been selected. Trial continues to 2/11.
2/11/20 Tuesday Day 1 of Trial: Opening statements by: Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz & First Assistant Public Defender Lindsey Yanchus. State witnesses: Amber Nakashian (Holly's cousin). Blake Stahler Sears (co-worker at Meijer). Another co-worker (no name given). Toni Cassano (Holly's mother).
Champaign County sheriff’s deputy Douglas Bialeschki (1st officer on scene). Trial continues to 2/12.
2/12/20 Wednesday Day 2: State witnesses: Illinois State Police crime-scene investigator Sgt. Mike Kyrouac (crime scene investigator). Andrew Burns (paramedic). Travis Burr (former Sheriff's investigator). Duane Northrup (Champaign County Coroner). Trial continues on 2/13.
2/13/20 Thursday Day 3: No info available. Trial continues on 2/14.

 

[Niner]

Here's an article I did find:

Cassano murder trial, Day 1 | Witnesses recount moments after mother discovered daughter's body

Has info from Day 1 and Day 2 of trial.

 

[Lynetta]

Thursday, February 13, 2020
Day 3

Jury hears confession

[...]

Sections of his five-hour statement made Aug. 28, 2018, were played Thursday morning to the jury hearing his murder trial in seven sections, ranging in length from about a minute to 70 minutes.

[...]

Henslick told investigators Dwayne Roelfs and Chris Darr that he went to Miss Cassano‘s home to talk to her about his relationship with her cousin and ended up "making out" with her and then having consensual sex.

After falling asleep, he admitted he awoke, went to the kitchen and got a steak knife from her counter. He returned to her bedroom and began stabbing her.

"I don’t know. It just kind of happened. It was just something I came up with," he said [...]

[...]

Henslick also admitted he had sex with Miss Cassano’s body after she died on the floor of her bedroom.

 

[Niner]

Dang.... can't access that article - my free 5 of 5 articles has ended.

@Lynetta - does the article have who the witnesses were on Thursday?

TIA!

 

[Lynetta]

Dang.... can't access that article - my free 5 of 5 articles has ended.

@Lynetta - does the article have who the witnesses were on Thursday?

TIA!

No, it doesn't. I'll keep a look out for any mentions

 

[Niner]

No, it doesn't. I'll keep a look out for any mentions

Thank you - I really hate to bother you.... But it would really appreciated!

 

[Lynetta]

Thank you - I really hate to bother you.... But it would really appreciated!

Oh gosh, it's no problem at all. Unfortunately I still haven't found a day 3 witness list, but I did just see a new article that says closing arguments are happening now.

Edit to Add: found a Day 3 article.

Cassano murder trial, Day 3 | 'Something was just coming over me'

Attorneys for Holly Cassano’s accused murderer rested their case Thursday without calling any witnesses on Michael Henslick’s behalf after prosecutors delivered their final blows — his recorded confession and DNA tying him to the crime.

[...]

The final witness for the prosecution was Illinois State Crime Laboratory scientist Dana Pitchford [...]

[...]Pitchford testified that she obtained DNA profiles from eight of the many pieces of evidence collected after Miss Cassano’s slain body was found Nov. 2, 2009, in the bedroom of her Mahomet mobile home.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Scott Denton concluded that Miss Cassano died from internal bleeding caused by several of the estimated 55 to 60 stab wounds that he said were likely inflicted by a kitchen steak knife.

Graphic crime-scene photos shown to the jury revealed a lot of blood on her, in her bedroom and throughout her home, the latter suggesting that the assailant was also injured and left a trail of blood behind.

[...]

 

[Lynetta]

Closing arguments underway in Holly Cassano murder trial

[...]

The prosecution wrapped up closing arguments before 10 a.m. Friday, focusing on the definition of first degree murder and how the evidence led to probable cause.


The defense will give its closing arguments next.

[...]