Woman: Murder suspect was in ‘shock’

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Jason Orasco

Updated: March 18, 2012 8:16AM

JOLIET — A murder defendant’s girlfriend testified he was in a “state of shock” after seeing two people shot during a home invasion in Channahon three years ago.

But Ashley Hill also told the court Jason S. Orasco, 27, was the one who suggested robbing Joshua Terdic.

Terdic, 21, and Lauren Vasilakis, then 19, were sleeping July 7, 2009, in their apartment on Blackberry Lane in Channahon when two men came in to steal money and marijuana. They broke Terdic’s knee with a baseball bat, hogtied them and shot them both in the head.

Vasilakis survived and was able to free herself and call police. Terdic died from his injuries 10 days later.

Vasilakis said Orasco’s chronic nervous cough led her to recognize him despite the black ski mask he wore.

Police arrested Orasco, Hill, Matthew Edwards and Mary Vetor at Vetor’s house in Joliet Township later that day.

Edwards, the accused triggerman, is awaiting trial.

The others also were charged with murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated battery for planning and participating in the crime. Vetor was found guilty on all counts last year and sentenced to 61 years in prison.

After agreeing to testify against the others, Hill pleaded guilty to home invasion only and received an 11-year sentence.

On Thursday, Hill told Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak and the nine-man, three-woman jury that the four had been hanging out at Vetor’s house the night before the attack when Edwards said he wanted to make some money.

“Jason said he knew of someone we could go rob. Josh was someone who had ripped him off,” Hill said.

Hours after the robbery and shootings, Vetor and Hill met up with Edwards and Orasco at a cabin on the DuPage River and returned to Vetor’s house.

“(Orasco) was more or less in a state of shock when we picked him up,” Hill told defense attorney Michael Renzi.

Two sheriff’s deputies and two state police crime lab employees also testified, linking the gun found in Vetor’s car to the bullet in Terdic’s body and DNA on the ski mask to Orasco.

When prosecutors finished, Renzi sought a directed verdict, meaning Bertani-Tomczak would essentially tell the jury they couldn’t find Orasco guilty. Renzi argued that prosecutors hadn’t proved Orasco was a willful participant.

Prosecutor Mike Fitzgerald argued that the jury could make a decision about Orasco’s participation, because he proposed Terdic as a victim, gathered equipment, went to the residence and assisted Edwards.

The judge denied the motion for the directed verdict.

Closing arguments will be heard at 9:30 a.m. Friday.