State Police back down from Koschman review

In a puzzling move, the Illinois State Police recently decided not to review the David Koschman homicide case, rejecting requests from Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. What a shame. What an embarrassment.

Although many details around the case are yet unclear, what is obvious is that Mayor Richard J. Daley's nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko was involved in the 21-year-old Mount Prospect man's death.

Police have at least indicated that it was Vanecko who threw a punch that hit Koschman in the face outside a Rush Street bar and sent him on a fatal fall that resulted in brain damage and killed him 11 days later. However, no one was ever charged for any crime connected to what the Cook County Medical Examiner called a homicide.

The case was closed in 2004, the same year the incident occurred. The case was opened again earlier this year, but then closed again... still, heavily shrouded in doubt. Conflicting witness accounts and questionable handling of the case by the Chicago Police Department are signs for some that CPD detectives involved did not do all they could do to make sure justice was served. And now it's looking like CPD isn't the only law enforcement agency avoiding the case.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed asks this question in a recent column: Is Alvarez, State Police playing hot potato with Koschman case?

I think there might be a little hot potato going on as Sneed speculates. Read the article linked to above for an interesting look into the idea. 


To end this on a positive note — while it's discouraging that the state police won't review this case, at least Chicago's inspector general is said to have an independent review on slate. 

The Chicago Sun-Times has done an awesome job of staying on top of this story. The articles listed below are essential to understanding what is, and what isn't going on in the Koschman case.

The Watchdogs, Part I: Questions arise in 2004 death involving Daley nephew

The Watchdogs, Part II: Years after death, mom’s anguish won’t end

The Watchdogs, Part III: Witness says Koschman wasn't the aggressor

The Watchdogs, Part IV: Koschman homicide case closed without charges

State Police to review David Koschman homicide

David Koschman

In about 10 days, it will have been 7 years since David Koschman died from brain injuries suffered outside a Rush Street bar in an altercation with a nephew of Mayor Richard M. Daley and White House Chief of Staff William Daley who left Koschman unconscious in the street.

The 21-year-old Mount Prospect man died 11 days later.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide. Police knew that the Daleys’ nephew, Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko threw the punch that connected with Koschman’s face and sent him on a fall that resulted in fatal brain damage. But no one was charged for the crime; it was ruled self defense, and the case was closed with countless questions still unanswered. The case was opened again earlier this year, but then closed again, still, with numerous questions unanswered.


Now the Illinois State Police department is gearing up for an independent review of the case, keeping alive the hope many have that justice is served. I commend Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez for requesting the review. The Sun-Times also deserves a great deal of credit for not letting this questionable handling of a homicide case involving someone with obvious connections to Chicago power simply fade away. They have been persistent, resourceful and scrappy in digging for the truth.


Read the full story from the Chicago Sun-Times here and read a previous blog post from me about this issue here.

Still many questions in homicide case involving Mayor Daley's nephew

The Chicago Police Department recently confirmed that Mayor Richard M. Daley's nephew, Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko hit a 21-year-old man with a fatal punch -- but police closed the investigation without pressing any criminal charges.

David Koschman, of Mount Prospect, was with friends in the Rush Street area in April 2004 when his group got into an altercation with another group of men, one of whom was Vanecko, 29.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

"The case is closed. And the police aren’t talking. But many questions are still unanswered. The police have said only this: No one received special treatment.

Other than that, they have refused to discuss what happened when two groups of drunken revelers ran into each other in the Rush Street area in the early-morning hours of April 25, 2004, and Koschman, a 21-year-old from Mount Prospect, ended up on the street, unconscious, and Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko, a nephew of the mayor and of White House Chief of Staff William Daley, ended up running away with a friend."

Koschman died 11 days later due to a brain injury from being punched in the head by Vanecko and falling to the concrete, according to reports. 

I think it's definitely premature to close the case with so many lingering questions about the events that led to this young man's death. And contrary to what the police department says, this absolutely smells like special treatment.  Hopefully CPD, or some other agency, digs a little deeper.

To read an excellent article about this, read  the full Chicago Sun-Times report on the issue.  When you're done, jump back here and let me know what you think.