McHenry man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend was abusive alcoholic, prosecutors say

WOODSTOCK – Prosecutors described William J. Ross as a controlling, abusive alcoholic who took things too far when he shot his ex-girlfriend and kept her body in a bedroom in his McHenry home.

But to defense attorneys, the former McHenry man accused of first-degree murder was a college educated salesman who at some point in his life "fell off the rails a bit" as he struggled with alcoholism.

The murder trial of Ross, 64, began Tuesday with opening statements from attorneys and testimony from police officers who responded to the scene.

Prosecutors allege that Ross shot his ex-girlfriend and tenant, Jacqueline Schaefer, in the head and back sometime in 2011, sealed the bedroom where her remains were found two years later, and abandoned the residence.

Autopsy results showed Schaefer also had fractures around her eye sockets and jaw.

Ross was arrested in 2013 – while he was living in a motel in Las Vegas – and charged with concealing a homicide after Schaefer's remains were found in the home by Ross' friend, Renee Bitton, who was taking care of the property at 518 Country Club Road in McHenry.

Bitton was interested in entering the home, over Ross' continued objection, because she thought a pipe burst and water was coming into the residence, prosecutors said. Before this, Ross had called Bitton every day at all hours of the night to make sure she was taking care of the property and had not entered the home, prosecutors said.

In 2014, Ross was charged with murder and he remains in jail on $5 million bond.

Schaefer was reportedly living in Ross's home for a number of years and while they were dating.

In his opening statements, Assistant State's Attorney Dan Wilbrandt said Ross controlled who and what came in and out of his McHenry residence. He said Ross rented his upstairs unit and spare bedrooms to women, drank alcohol in excess and controlled and abused those women.

"Jackie Schaefer came into his house, but she never left," Wilbrandt said.

Wilbrandt told jurors that Ross had a history of abuse and was arrested on two occasions in 2007 on domestic battery charges. Schaefer was the victim in both instances, Wilbrandt said, and she suffered physical injuries that included a bloody lip, bruised wrist and abrasions on her neck.

Schaefer eventually moved back in with the defendant, Wilbrandt said.

Ross' residence, depicted in crime scene photos, was in disarray and the floor was covered in drywall after the ceiling collapsed from the reported water damage.

Prosecutors also introduced crime scene photos that depicted Schaefer's remains when they were found in a garbage bag in 2013, which included a skull with a large hole on the front, ribs, blonde hair and a spine.

The photos also depicted evidence found in the residence, which included garbage bags, rubber gloves, two air respirators, a paint brush cover, various cans of brown paint and duct tape, among other items. These items, the prosecution argued, were used to seal the bedroom.

Wilbrandt also said Ross' DNA was found on the caulking between the door.

A receipt from Ace Hardware in McHenry was located at Ross' residence by officers processing the crime scene. The receipt contained many of the introduced items all paid for in June 2012, with the receipt signed by "William J," according to prosecutors.

Defense attorney Stephen Richards said the state would not be able to prove his client was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

He said Ross left McHenry in June 2012 on a cross-country trip with plans to head west, contrary to the state's argument that Ross left in July. The defendant never returned to Illinois until after he was arrested in Las Vegas, Richards said.

He said his client did not know where Schaefer was, but this was not surprising, "given the kind of person she was."

Richards characterized his client as a "hoarder and a bit paranoid" and said he often locked and sealed his valuables so nothing would get stolen.

Schaefer's parents, Rose and John Schaefer, were present in court during opening statements. Rose Schaefer said she could not remember the last time she had seen her daughter. John Schaefer said he believed the last time he saw his daughter was walking on Route 120 toward the Jewel-Osco in 2009 or 2010.

The trial before McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.