Streator man charged with murder continues search for lawyer, pushing case back to April 17

A Streator man accused of strangling a woman still is trying to find a lawyer. Joshua Casey’s detention hearing was moved to April 17 while he looks for one.

Casey, 38, appeared Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court, where a grand jury on Tuesday indicted him on charges of first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death.

He would face 20 to 60 years in prison, with no possibility of probation, if convicted of killing Jessica Balma.

Casey was expected to get trial dates Friday and to argue over whether he will remain held in the La Salle County Jail while awaiting trial. However, Casey advised Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. that he still is trying to retain private counsel.

Ryan agreed to postpone arraignment and detention for three weeks to facilitate Casey’s search. The hearing could be moved up if Casey finds private representation sooner.

Prosecutors have disclosed limited information about Balma’s death except to say that she died by manual strangulation and that investigators recovered evidence of an attempt to conceal her death.