Will County Treasurer Jack Weber is “a shell of the man he used to be” because of injuries caused by Brent Saltzman, prosecutors and defense attorneys agree.
But in opening arguments in Saltzman’s attempted-murder trial Friday, lawyers presented different versions of the 22-year-old’s intentions when he fought with Weber, his stepfather, on Oct. 8, 2000.
Will County State’s Atty. Jeff Tomczak told jurors that Saltzman intended to kill Weber, then 63, when he beat him and caused his head to slam against a bathtub and tile floor.
Defense attorney George Lynch said Weber’s massive head injuries were the result of a run-of-the-mill domestic dispute that took a tragic but accidental turn when Saltzman hit Weber in the bathroom of Weber’s Shorewood home.
Lynch has acknowledged that Saltzman is likely to be convicted of a crime. But the case turns on whether he will be convicted of attempted murder or the less-serious charges of aggravated battery of a senior citizen or domestic battery.
Tomczak said Saltzman flew into a rage when Weber and his wife, Bonnie, Saltzman’s mother, were not ready to leave for Saltzman’s birthday outing to a riverboat casino at 11:30 a.m. He broke down a door to get to the couple and when Weber threatened to call police, Saltzman viciously attacked him, fracturing his skull and breaking several bones in his face and head, Tomczak said.
Lynch said Saltzman overreacted when he saw Weber in a bathrobe. Saltzman was sexually abused when he was a child and experiences extreme anxiety when he sees men in any stage of undress, Lynch said. Saltzman’s reaction led to an altercation that got out of hand, the attorney said.
After opening arguments, a doctor described the severity of Weber’s head wounds.The Shorewood police officers who responded to the 911 call also testified. Weber was hospitalized and is receiving hospice care. Friends have said he is unlikely to fully recover from his injuries.
Before opening arguments, Judge Stephen White heard arguments on whether to admit a videotape depicting Weber’s daily life now. Tomczak wants the jury to see the tape to understand the extent of Weber’s injuries. But Lynch argued that showing it would prejudice the jury against Saltzman.
White has not yet ruled on whether to admit the tape.
The trial resumes Monday.
