Man gets 32 years in prison for 2012 stabbing death
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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SENTENCE GIVEN IN DEATH OF BRIAN CARRICK
Casciaro gets 26 years
D-155 rejects union’s offer Binding arbitration refused; strike possible By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com
Photos by Lathan Goumas – lgoumas@shawmedia.com
Jerry Casciaro speaks to members of the media Thursday after the sentencing of his son, Mario Casciaro, at the McHenry County Courthouse in Woodstock. The younger Casciaro was sentenced to 26 years after being found guilty in April of the murder of Brian Carrick in December 2002.
Victim’s family frustrated; defendant maintains innocence By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – Though Mario Casciaro is set to depart for an extended term behind bars for the death of a missing Johnsburg teen, his sentence does not bring comfort to the victim’s family, whose questions about his disappearance have gone unanswered. A jury in April convicted Casciaro, 30, of first-degree murder for the death of 17-year-old Brian Carrick. McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather on Thursday sentenced Casciaro to 26 years in prison. Prather acknowledged the tragedy of the decade-long mystery that had stymied detectives; a case that was lived and breathed by prosecutors; and one that captivated the small village.
Bill Carrick leaves the courthouse after the sentencing of Casciaro in the murder of Carrick’s son, Brian Carrick. The judge called the crime “heartbreaking” and “senseless.” “There is no sentence the court can impose that will make anyone feel like justice has been served,” Prather said.
Carrick’s father, Bill, agreed. “I don’t understand that word closure,” he said. “I believe in God, and I’m looking forward to seeing my son again.” Therese Carrick wanted
answers about what happened to her brother the night he last was seen walking into Val’s Foods – a grocery store where Brian Carrick worked that was across the street from where he and his 13 siblings were raised. “Mario knows and he chooses not to talk about his role and his actions in what happened,” Therese Carrick said on the stand, eyes locked on Casciaro. “Therefore none of us will know.” With credit for nearly two years served in jail, Casciaro will be 54 years old when he’s released. But he maintains his innocence and has appealed the verdict. A parade of character witnesses called him hardworking, caring, trustworthy and honest. He’d never hurt a fly, they said.
See CASCIARO, page A7
CRYSTAL LAKE – The Community High School District 155 Board of Education unanimously declined a binding arbitration offer from the teachers union Thursday, setting in motion the first formal steps toward a strike. After more than six months of negotiations, union leaders and board members were unable to come to an agreement with the help of a federal mediator on a new contract. Teachers have been working without a contract since July 1. Last week, the union offered binding arbitration – requiring both the union and district to honor a contract drafted by an independent party – but board members said it would not be in the best interest of the district and the community. Board member Dave Secrest, speaking on behalf of the body, said the community elected board members and turning over contract negotiation duties to a third party would be skirting responsibilities. “It’s not a job that should be turned over to some third party outsider that
See D-155, page A7
Mario Casciaro, 30, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Brian Carrick.
Brian Carrick was 17 years old when he was last seen Dec. 20, 2002.
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Obama will allow canceled health plans The ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON – His personal and political credibility on the line, President Barack Obama reversed course Thursday and said millions of Americans should be allowed to renew individual coverage plans now ticketed for cancellation under the health care law that is likely to be at the heart of the 2014 elections. The immediate impact on consumers was unclear, though both industry spokesmen and state insurance commissioners swiftly warned that higher prices could result from the president’s rapid turnaround.
See OBAMA, page A7
LOCALLY SPEAKING
ISLAND LAKE
PENSION FUNDS MISAPPROPRIATED The village of Island Lake does not have the nearly $400,000 needed to repay the police pension after three years of misappropriation, its auditor said. The village does not have enough funds in the main general fund to repay the missing money – or the interest the pension fund could have earned off that money, according to the report. For more, see page B1.
John Padron
Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
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