KRISTINE GILFORD and her Unborn child -(2010) Villa Park (W of Chicago) IL

A relative of slaying victim Kristine Gilford's has created a Facebook
group aimed at finding the man charged in her stabbing death, Eric A.
Gilford, her estranged husband."I felt like I had to do something
to help," said Kristine Gilford's cousin Frank Snover, who set up the
Facebook account Friday night with his girlfriend, Laura Murray. "I
thought, why don't we just use the technology today and send out another
wanted poster."The Facebook group, Eric Gilford WANTED, had
attracted nearly 1,300 members by Tuesday afternoon, six days after a
neighbor found Kristine Gilford, who was five months' pregnant, barely
conscious in a friend's Villa Park apartment. Gilford died of multiple
stab wounds about 90 minutes later. The woman's 4-year-old daughter also
was in the apartment but unharmed.Eric Gilford, 31, an
active-duty Navy sailor, was charged Friday with first-degree murder and
intentional homicide of an unborn child. He and Kristine Gilford had
been married since February, police said, but she had moved from their
Downers Grove home to a friend's apartment in early May.Authorities
found Gilford's abandoned 2008 Dodge Charger on Thursday morning in a
Fargo, N.D., parking lot. Efforts to reach investigators Tuesday were
unsuccessful.Law enforcement has used Facebook to fight and
prevent crime, said Kathleen Loughlin, spokeswoman for the social
networking site. Those efforts include police notifying residents of
crime in the area, tracking down stolen merchandise, launching a global
Safety Advisory Board and locating missing persons, Loughlin said. Kristine
Gilford's funeral is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Zimmerman-Hartnett
Funeral Home in Forest Park.

Authorities today issued an arrest warrant for Eric A. Gilford, the
31-year-old U.S. Navy sailor authorities call "the sole person of
interest" in the stabbing death of his pregnant wife, Kristine Gilford,
on Wednesday in Villa Park.

Meanwhile two Villa Park investigators remained in the Fargo, N.D., area
continuing the search for Gilford, whose car was found there Thursday.

"We're looking into whether he has any contacts in that state," Villa
Park Police Detective Dan McCann said today. "We're assuming he knows
somebody there or he's trying to get to Canada."

Authorities have alerted the U.S. Border Patrol, McCann said.


The warrant charges Gilford with first-degree murder of his wife and
intentional homicide of an unborn child, according to police.

Local investigators went to Fargo Thursday after authorities there found
a black, 2008 Dodge Charger traced to Eric Gilford abandoned in the
parking lot of an architectural firm. Authorities describe Gilford as
6-feet-4, 210 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

The stabbing occurred about 2:20 p.m. Wednesday in the Villa Park
apartment Kristine Gilford, 35, and her 3-year-old daughter had been
sharing with Kristine Gilford's boyfriend for about three weeks. The
daughter was in the apartment at the time of the attack and now is with
family, authorities said.


Kristine Gilford and her husband had been married since February, police
said, and were living in Downers Grove until she moved to the Villa
Park apartment on the 300 block of North Ardmore Ave. Police said Eric
Gilford has no previous criminal history.

Authorities are asking anyone with information on the case to call
police at 630-834-7447.

Eric A. Gilford, the Downers Grove man charged in the May 26 stabbing death
of his pregnant estranged wife, was in a Wyoming
jail Friday, less than 24 hours after a deputy sheriff arrested him as
Gilford was preparing to eat dessert at the homeless shelter where he'd
been living for about a week.



Gilford, 31, a Navy sailor, was ordered held without bail by Ninth Circuit Court Judge Curt Haws on
Friday afternoon. Haws appointed a public defender for Gilford, who will
be in court again Thursday for a hearing on his extradition to
Illinois.Authorities had tracked Gilford to the Good Samaritan
Mission Shelter in Jackson, Wyo., after Gilford attempted to obtain a
state identification card or driver's license using an alias that had
been linked to him, said Teton County Deputy Sheriff Gary Shaw, who
arrested Gilford about 6 p.m. Thursday."I recognized him before
he recognized me, walked up behind him and called him by his real name,"
Shaw said. "He turned around and said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'You're under
arrest.' As soon as I took him by the wrist to put the cuffs on, he was
totally compliant. He knew it was over."Authorities have charged Gilford
with first-degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child in
the death of Kristine Gilford, 35, who was five months' pregnant and had
been sharing a Villa Park apartment with her 3-year-old daughter and a
friend for about three weeks. Kristine Gilford was killed on her
daughter's 4th birthday, and the girl was in the apartment at the time
of the attack, neighbors said.Brian Courtney, Kristine Gilford's
brother, said he was "glad that (Gilford) was caught, and I'm glad that
it took two months instead of two years." Courtney said he and his
family were concerned that Eric Gilford might commit suicide or flee to
Canada. They also were concerned for their safety, he said."I'm
just glad that my sister can finally rest in peace and now we don't have
to look over our shoulder worrying about him," he said.Investigators
said Eric Gilford had traveled to Fargo, N.D., and Seattle before
making his way to Jackson, a town of about 8,600 in northwest Wyoming.

Man indicted in pregnant wife's death
Wednesday, September 15, 2010


Eric Gilford is charged with first degree murder and intentional homicide of an unborn child.

September 15, 2010 (WLS) -- A DuPage County grand jury has indicted a west suburban man suspected of killing his pregnant wife in front of their 4-year-old daughter.

Eric Gilford, of Villa Park, is charged with first-degree murder and the intentional homicide of an unborn child in connection with the death of Kristine Gilford. He's scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
According to our news partner The Daily Herald, prosecutors say despite being stabbed 17 times, the woman survived long enough to identify Gilford as her attacker.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7668913

Man accused of killing pregnant wife won't face death penalty
DuPage decides not to seek capital punishment in Villa Park stabbing death
January 10, 2011|By Art Barnum, Tribune Reporter


DuPage County prosecutors announced Monday that they will not seek the death penalty for a Downers Grove man accused of murdering his estranged pregnant wife in May.

But Eric A. Gilford could face a sentence of life imprisonment if convicted, Assistant State's Attorney David Bayer said.

Bayer told Judge Kathryn Creswell that State's Attorney Robert Berlin made the decision after consulting with the victim's family.

Gilford, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child and home invasion in connection with the May 26 stabbing death in Villa Park of Kristine Gilford, 35.

After the attack, Eric Gilford is alleged to have fled to Wyoming, where he was arrested in August, then extradited to Illinois. He is being held without bail.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-10/news/ct-met-gilford-murder-0111-20110110_1_kristine-gilford-eric-gilford-state-s-attorney-robert-berlin

Article updated: 2/24/2011 4:43 PM
Grand jury indicts Navy recruiter in pregnant wife's murder in Villa Park



A DuPage County grand jury handed up a criminal indictment Tuesday against a former U.S. Navy recruiter accused of fatally stabbing his pregnant wife in Villa Park in front of her 4-year-old daughter.
Eric Gilford, 31, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and the intentional homicide of an unborn child. He is expected to plead not guilty when arraigned Thursday before DuPage Circuit Judge Kathryn Creswell.

Gilford is accused of stabbing his bride, Kristine, 17 times May 26 in front of her daughter on the child's birthday. The 35-year-old woman survived long enough to identify Gilford as her attacker, prosecutors said. They said the child, Gracie May, also named him as "the bad guy" who hurt her mother and identified him in a photo.
Eric Gilford fled the state afterward but was found and extradited to Illinois last month. He remains in the DuPage County jail without bond.
The Downers Grove couple married in February and were expecting their first child next month. Kristine, who grew up in Arlington Heights and attended high school in Naperville, died from stab wounds to her chest, back and arms.
Prosecutors said Gracie also told police Eric Gilford had a knife and a hammer, both of which were located inside the apartment. Kristine left Gilford and had been staying in the apartment on the 300 block of North Ardmore Avenue in Villa Park with an ex-boyfriend. Eric Gilford used a computerized people-finder service, among other methods, to track his wife there, prosecutors said.
Nearly a dozen police officers closed in on Gilford Aug. 5 while he was eating dessert at the Good Samaritan Mission in Jackson, Wyo. Eric Gilford waived extradition Aug. 12. Authorities said he had been living under an alias and was trying to establish a new identity.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20100915/news/309159921/

Eric Gilford to decide on plea agreement or proceed with a trial next month
By Janice Hoppe, jhoppe@mysuburbanlife.com
Lemont Reporter
Posted Apr 12, 2011 @ 10:00 AM



Lemont, IL —
Downers Grove resident, Eric Gilford, who is accused of murdering his wife, Kristine, and their unborn child will return to court next month to enter a plea agreement or proceed with a trial.

Gilford appeared Tuesday morning in the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton where assistant state's attonrey Dave Bayer said the expert analysis and psychological review has been completed and given to Judge Kathryn Creswell.

Bayer said he would put together an agreement for Gilford to plead guilty and be sentenced anywhere from 20 years to life in prison. It is up to Gilford whether he choses to take the plea agreement or have a trail during the next court date on May 17, Bayer said.

"There is a slim chance he will take the years we will recommend," Bayer said.

On Sept. 16, Gilford pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child and home invasion, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

His wife, Kristine Gilford, 35, was found stabbed to death May 26 in an apartment in Villa Park.

Gilford was captured in a Wyoming homeless shelter Aug. 5, ending a 10-week run during which he avoided murder charges by assuming a stolen identity and living off odd jobs and social services, police said.

If convicted, Bayer said with murder charges Gilford will be in prison for the amount of years sentenced by the judge.

"It's 100 percent of the sentence," Bayer said to whether Gilford could get out early.

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/downersgrove/newsnow/x1700915567/Eric-Gilford-to-decide-on-plea-agreement-or-proceed-with-a-trial-next-month

Gilford sentencing to remain at the end of the month
Posted Sep 16, 2011 @ 09:21 AM

Sentencing of Eric Gilford will remain at the end of the month after a final psychological review was submitted to the court today.

Gilford, who plead guilty to stabbing his pregnant wife Kristine 16 times, killing her and her unborn baby, will appear in the DuPage County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 29 for a sentencing hearing.

Gilford’s sentencing hearing was supposed to be held Aug. 16 but was postponed for further psychological review of Gilford.

On May 26, 2010, Kristine Gilford, 35, was found laying on her side in her boyfriend's apartment in the 300 block of Ardmore Avenue in Villa Park.

Kristine was stabbed 16 times in her back, chest and abdomen in front of her daughter, Gracie, according to DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Dave Bayer. Gracie was in the apartment when Eric Gilford stabbed the mother and she later identified him by name and photo, Bayer has said.

Gilford entered a plea agreement that seeks no more than 80 years in prison for the first-degree murder charge and no more than 60 years for the intentional homicide of an unborn child.

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/woodridge/newsnow/x1462439266/Gilford-sentencing-to-remain-at-the-end-of-the-month

Courtroom gasps as judge again delays Gilford sentencing

Posted Sep 29, 2011 @ 05:02 PM

Family and friends of the murdered Kristine Gilford admitted shock this afternoon when Judge Kathryn Creswell announced she would be delaying the sentencing of Kristine's killer-husband yet again.

Sentencing of Eric Gilford, who in May 2010 brutally stabbed to death his then-pregnant wife, has been moved to Tuesday morning, Creswell announced to a surprised group of family, friends and prosecutors in a DuPage County courtroom just a little after 3:30 p.m. today.

Creswell reasoned she had to review notes on court proceedings, forcing her to postpone Gilford's sentencing.

Earlier in the day, witness testimony was heard from Villa Park and Lombard detectives, as well as Kristine's father, Dennis Courtney, and Eric Gilford's brother, Matthew Gilford.

"If our daughter had died from illness, I could have understood that," Courtney read from a prepared statement in court. "If our daughter had died in combat, I could have understood that...vbut to die in this senseless act of rage and violence, I cannot understand or accept. Unfortunately, you cannot give us back our daughter, nor Gracie her mother. But you can give us some closure, you can give us justice."

Matthew Gilford then addressed the court, and stated that his brother, Eric, always looked out for him, never did anything illegal and always told him to stay active with friends and sports.

"I was surprised," Matthew said of Eric's crime. "You ruined a lot of lives."

Eric Gilford made a statment as well after closing arguments.

"I want to apologize to the family and friends of Kristine and Gracie (daughter of Kristine). I think about it every day and I wish I could go back and change it. I am sorry."

Creswell's decision to delay the sentencing came after a long day of testimony, including statements from Eric Gilford's psychologist that Gilford told him he heard voices telling him to murder Kristine.

Other revelations made during Thursday's hearing:

According to Eric Gilford's attorney, Ricky Holman, the unborn child was Gilford's. Holman said in his closing argument that at the time of the murder Gilford was unsure whether the baby was his but later learned after DNA testing that it indeed was.


While on his 10-week run from authorities, Gilford was using the name "Bryan Woolman," a man whom Gilford met as a Navy recruitor. During testimony Thursday, Villa Park Police said Gilford had xeroxed copies of Woolman's birth certificate and social security number that he used to assume Woolman's identity.
While in Seattle, during his run from authorities, Gilford took in a Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox baseball game on July 20, 2010. A Teton County, Wyoming detective discovered a single ticket stub to the game in Gilford's backpack after capture.


Gilford is expected to receive sentences that could result in life in prison based on a plea agreement that seeks no more than 80 years for a charge of first-degree murder charge and no more than 60 years for a charge of intentional homicide of an unborn child. Each sentence will be served consecutively.

Sentencing will take place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in Courtroom 4014 in the DuPage County Courthouse.

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/woodridge/features/x748713730/Courtroom-gasps-as-judge-again-delays-Gilford-sentencing

BREAKING: Judge hands Gilford 100-year sentence

Posted Oct 05, 2011 @ 10:58 AM

Eric Gilford was sentenced to 100 years in prison this morning in DuPage County Court for the May 2010 murder of his pregnant wife, Kristine.

Judge Kathryn Creswell handed down the sentence, which includes 50 years for a charge of first-degree murder and 50 years for a charge of intentional homicide of an unborn child.

Gilford will have to serve 100 percent of the first-degree murder sentence and 85 percent of the intentional homicide of an unborn child charge, for a total of at least 92 years in prison.

In court today, Creswell said she took into consideration Gilford's lack of criminal history, his mental condition and his plea and remorse when determining his sentence.

Creswell also went into detail of how the murder unfolded.

Creswell said a report indicated Gilford went over to Kristine's boyfriend's Villa Park apartment with his large hunting knife intending to cut up a couch "to make (Kristine's boyfriend) feel how he felt," but when Kristine said not to hurt the boyfriend, Gilford became enraged.

"I have seen quite a few stabbing cases that involve a kitchen knife," Creswell said. "In this case, the knife is shocking for its sheer size. It's 1 1/2 inches wide, 6 to 7 inches of blade. It's a huge knife. And he took that and plunged it into his pregnant wife 16 times."

Creswell said she took into consideration the stabbing was so violent it was able to break bones.

"He picked up Gracie (Kristine's daughter) and put her on top of her wounded mother," Creswell said Gilford stated in a psychological report. "Each birthday will be a sad anniversary."

The day of the murder -- May 26, 2010 -- was Gracie's fourth birthday.

Creswell added that nine letters were submitted on Gilford's behalf from friends, family and Navy personnel that were all in "shock and disbelief" of his actions.

"The letters described (Gilford) as kind, with a heart of gold and generous with a good sense of humor," Creswell said.

The sentence comes after it was twice-delayed in recent days, and ends the case nearly 17 months after the 34-year-old Kristine was brutally stabbed 16 times in a Villa Park apartment.

"Yes," Kristine's mother Janice Balicki said when leaving court this morning. "It's over. It's over."

Kristine's father Dennis Courtney added that the family is pleased with the outcome.

He said Gracie is doing well but is still haunted by the murder of her mother.

"She is doing well," Courtney said. "She is a bright, active child. She still has nightmares."

The sentencing was postponed by Creswell Thursday after more than five hours of testimony and statements from family and Gilford himself. Creswell announced she had to review notes on court proceedings before determining Gilford’s sentence.

Then Tuesday, the hearing was delayed a day to allow Kristine Gilford’s family to attend a family funeral, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Dave Bayer.

Balicki wanted to thank the judge for moving the sentencing one day later so she could attend her husband's funeral on Tuesday, and the court case to hear her daughter's murder be sentenced.

During the Thursday hearing, new details surrounding the case were revealed, including details of the stab wounds that led to Kristine’s death.

Jeff Harkey, chief forensic pathologist for the DuPage County Coroner's Office, told the court there were seven stab wounds on the front of Kristine's body puncturing her left lung and ribs, seven stab wounds on the back of her body cutting through her ribs, diaphragm, liver and colon, and two on the front left thigh heading up toward her pelvic cavity.

Internally, her abdomen was penetrated by the knife but did not go all the way through, Harkey said.

"I don't think the wound would have killed the fetus," Harkey said. "It was a viable pregnancy up until the mother died."

Harkey added that the baby was a boy and the pregnancy was 20 weeks along.

Eric Gilford’s attorney, Ricky Holman, confirmed Thursday the child was DNA tested and was in fact Eric Gilford’s child.

Other testimony came from Gilford’s psychologist, Dr. John Murray, who said Gilford claimed to have heard voices in the years leading up to the brutal stabbing.

Murray said Gilford reported hearing voices from 2005 to 2010.

“He said he didn’t respond to the voices, he knew they were hallucinations and was able to cope with them,” Murray said in court Thursday.

Murray later said he believes the voices played a role in his actions regarding Kristine’s murder.

“The voices said ‘stab her, stab her’,” Murray said Gilford told him in September.

Murray then told the court he believes Gilford was exaggerating his symptoms.

“He understood what he was doing,” Murray said in court. “(The murder) was premeditated. His level of anger was the primary reason he attacked his wife.”

On May 26, 2010, Gilford broke through the locked door at an apartment at 329 Ardmore Ave. in Villa Park and stabbed Kristine 16 times with a 12-inch-long hunting knife. The murder took place in front of Kristine’s daughter, Gracie Mae, who turned 4 years old the day of her mother’s murder.

Kristine’s father, Dennis Courtney, read a statement during the Thursday hearing.

“(For Gracie,) every birthday will be a reminder of the day she saw the bad man stab her mother to death in front of her,” Courtney said, later stating, "If our daughter had died from illness, I could have understood that. If our daughter had died in combat, I could have understood that... but to die in this senseless act of rage and violence, I cannot understand or accept. Unfortunately, you cannot give us back our daughter, nor Gracie her mother. But you can give us some closure, you can give us justice."

Villa Park Police also testified Thursday, sharing new details on Gilford’s 10-week run from the law following the murder.

Detective James Krupiczowicz said while Gilford was on the run he was using the name "Bryan Woolman," a man whom Gilford met as a Navy recruiter. Krupiczowicz said Gilford had Xeroxed copies of Woolman's birth certificate and social security number that he used to assume Woolman's identity.

Other details include Gilford taking in a Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox baseball game on July 20, 2010, while on the run in Seattle, according to Krupiczowicz. A ticket stub was found in Gilford’s backpack.

Gilford made a brief statement after closing arguments Thursday.

"I want to apologize to the family and friends of Kristine and Gracie (daughter of Kristine). I think about it every day and I wish I could go back and change it. I am sorry."

The family of Kristine said the apology from Gilford meant little to them.

"He showed remorse and included Gracie in his (statement)," Courtney said. "I think he was doing it for affect and reaction from the judge. He showed remorse but it didn't mean anything."

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/woodridge/breakingnews/x1415368929/Eric-Gilford-sentencing-expected-Wednesday