6 of Illinois Family Killed In Home, 3 year old fighting for her life CONVICTION girl lives

[cartfly]

Trimm- Thank you so much for the updates. I haven't been able to look at it in a few days (the flu...)
Just checking in now. 

Any who, this is just so sad. I thought it was odd only one person had been arrested. Glad to know LE is doing a wonderful job of bringing justice to this family.

[MuffyBee]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FAMILY_SLAIN_ILLINOIS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
Oct 9, 4:00 AM EDT

2nd man charged in slaying of central Ill. family


LINCOLN, Ill. (AP) -- An Illinois man has been charged with helping his older brother beat to death members of his ex-wife's family, less than a week after the younger sibling insisted his brother was innocent of the crime.

Jason Harris, 22, of Armington, was charged Thursday with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said. Identical charges were filed Oct. 2 against Harris' brother, Christopher Harris, whose former father-in-law, Raymond "Rick" Gee, Gee's wife, Ruth, and three of their children were found bludgeoned to death in their home in the tiny central Illinois town of Beason on Sept. 21.

A 3-year-old daughter was found alive but seriously injured. She has been hospitalized since the attack.

The brothers could face the death penalty if convicted.

In an interview with The Associated after his brother's arrest, Jason Harris had called the accusations "mind-boggling" and said his brother showed no injuries or blood spatters.

"My brother is innocent - 100 percent," he said.

Harris is being held without bond. His court-appointed attorney, Steven B. Skelton, said Thursday night that he didn't know anything about the specific accusations because he had not yet seen the charges or met with the defendant.

Skelton said Harris' first court appearance was scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday in Lincoln.

Christopher Harris, 30, was divorced several years ago from Nicole Gee, whose father, his wife and three of their children were killed. Harris and Gee had reconciled, intended to marry again and recently had a second child together, his stepmom, Debbie Harris, told the AP last week. She also said Christopher Harris was not capable of committing the crime and had no motive.

Police have said the five family members were killed by blunt force trauma preceded by a "violent struggle." Found dead along with the parents were 16-year-old Justina Constant, 14-year-old Dillen Constant and 11-year-old Austin Gee.

Authorities have offered few details about brothers' arrests, including a possible motive.

Jason Harris already was in custody when the murder charges were filed against him. He, his girlfriend, Jennifer C. Earnest, 24, and her mother, Sara A. Duncan, 43, of Sarasota, Fla., were arrested and charged Wednesday with obstruction of justice in the case.

[trimmonthelake]

Trimm- Thank you so much for the updates. I haven't been able to look at it in a few days (the flu...)
Just checking in now. 

Any who, this is just so sad. I thought it was odd only one person had been arrested. Glad to know LE is doing a wonderful job of bringing justice to this family.

You are welcome.    

[trimmonthelake]

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=114402
Reported by: Marissa Torres WCIA/WCFN

Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 @10:21am CDT

SPRINGFIELD-   Chilling new details in the Gee Family murder after two brothers are formally indicted for the killings.
   Christopher and Jason Harris were in a Logan County courtroom Wednesday. Both pleaded not guilty to more than 40 murder charges and additional charges of theft and attempted sexual assault.
    The indictments say the brothers stole a computer from the home. It also claims they broke into the Gee home with the intent to rape 16 year old Justina Constant, daughter to Rick and Ruth Gee.
    New details also shed light on how the family was killed. The indictment says the family was attacked with a tire iron. All 5 members of the Gee family died from blunt force to the head.
   Jason and Christopher are also charged with attempted murder for 3-year-old Tabitha Gee, the only survivor.
   Jason faces some additional charges to his brother. Police say he gave false alibis, tried to hide the stolen computer, and burned Christopher’s clothes.
    If convicted, both could spend life in prison or even face the death penalty. The brothers will be back in court for separate pre-trial hearings in early December.

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d30-Report-Obstruction-suspect-in-Gee-family-murder-will-move-to-Florida-with-mother
Report: Obstruction suspect in Gee family murder will move to Florida with mother
October 30, 8:15 AMChicago Crime ExaminerDeborah O'Malley
Two women charged with obstruction of justice in the murders of five family members in Beason, Illinois will apparently wait out their legal proceedings in Florida.

The State Journal - Register reports this morning that Jennifer Earnest, 24, was granted a bond reduction yesterday and the court gave her permission to move to Florida to be with her family.

Her family includes her mother, Sara Duncan, who is also charged with obstruction. Duncan is a resident of Sarasota but was in Illinois at the time of the murders.

Police allege Duncan and Earnest gave false alibis for the two men charged with the murders of the Rick Gee family. They are brothers Chris and Jason Harris.  Earnest is Jason Harris' girlfriend and they have a child together.

Both Earnest and Duncan have pleaded not guilty. Duncan was able to post bond earlier this week. She is employed by a insurance company in Florida. The State Journal - Register reports Earnest is still trying to come up with her bond money, but now that it has been reduced to $10,000, she apparently has a good chance of making bond. Earnest has been in jail since she was arrested October 7.
Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children were found bludgeoned to death in their home September 21. A 3-year-old child survived the attack.

This week a grand jury returned a nearly 60 count indictment against each of the Harris brothers. In addition to the murders, investigators also charged the brothers with robbery and the attempted sexual assault of Gee's 16-year-old daughter, Justina. Police say the weapon used to murder Justina and the rest of her family was most likely a tire iron.

The Harris brothers knew the Gee family because Chris was the ex-husband of Nicole Gee, the 27-year-old daughter of Rick. Nicole lived down the block from her family.

Jennifer Earnest and Sara Duncan  Police photos

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d28-Report-Gee-family-of-Beason-murdered-with-tire-iron-attemped-sexual-assault-alleged
Report: Gee family of Beason murdered with tire iron, attemped sexual assault alleged
October 28, 4:00 PMChicago Crime ExaminerDeborah O'Malley

Chris and Jason Harris  Police PhotosProsecutors said today the brothers charged in the murders of five family members in Beason, Illinois used a tire iron to beat the victims to death and during the attack, they attempted to sexually assault the 16-year-daughter, according to a report in the Pantagraph.

Chris Harris, 30, and his brother Jason, 22, were in court today where a grand jury returned multiple count indictments against the brothers.

The brothers both entered not guilty pleas.

The Pantagraph reports Chris faces 57 counts that include the five murders, the attempted murder of a three-year-old, the attempted criminal sexual assault of the 16-year-old victim. Other charges include armed robbery and burglary.

Jason Harris is facing those same 57 charges plus obstruction of justice charges for giving a false alibi, burning the clothing Chris wore the night of the killings and hiding a computer that was allegedly stolen from the victims' home.
Raymond and Ruth Gee and three of their children were found slaughtered in their home September 21. A 3-year-old daughter survived the attack but was critically injured.

Chris Harris was arrested October 1. He is the ex-husband of Nicole Gee, the 27-year-old daughter of Raymond. Harris and Nicole divorced in 2007 but renewed their relationship last year. They have a 9-year-old daughter and a 3-month old son.

Nicole defended her ex-husband when he was first charged but she has issued no further public statements since she posted a defense of Chris on her MySpace page October 5.

Murder charges against Jason Harris were filed October 8.

The Harris brothers are being held without bond. Jason Harris' girlfriend, Jennifer Earnest, and her mother, Sara Duncan, are charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly giving police a false alibi for at least one of the Harris brothers.
Photo timeline of Gee family murders in Beason (click here) http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m10d9-Photo-timeline-of-Gee-family-murders-in-Beason-Illinois

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_f5b54ec0-9e77-5b36-bd3b-d6adb6451423.html

Home / News / Local
Second attorney joins Jason L. Harris defense in Beason deaths

Home / News / Local
Second attorney joins Jason L. Harris defense in Beason deaths

    * Story
    * Discussion

By EDITH BRADY-LUNNY - Lee News Service Writer | Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 3:00 am | No Comments Posted

Font Size:
    Default font size
    Larger font size

LINCOLN - A former McLean County prosecutor has agreed to serve as co-counsel for the defense in the case against Jason L. Harris, who is accused along with his brother of killing a Beason family.

Stephanie Wong will join Bloomington attorney Steve Skelton, Skelton told The (Bloomington) Pantagraph on Tuesday.

Harris, 22, and his brother, Christopher J. Harris, 30, both of Armington, were indicted last week on charges that they brutally beat Rick and Ruth Gee and three of the couple's children with a tire iron during an armed robbery in which a laptop computer was taken. The family was found Sept. 21 by relatives.

Both men also are charged with the attempted criminal sexual assault of 16-year-old victim Justina Constant and attempted murder of Tabitha Gee, 3, who survived the attack.

The brothers have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bond.

Obstruction of justice charges are pending against Jason Harris' girlfriend, Jennifer Earnest, of Armington and her mother, Sara Duncan, of Sarasota, Fla., for allegedly providing a false alibi for Chris Harris.

Wong was an assistant state's attorney for 13 years before leaving the McLean County office in 2006. She currently has a legal practice with Jason Chambers in Bloomington. In addition to the Beason case, Wong is representing Liam McCauley, who is accused of killing his father in August in the family's Bloomington home.
The appointment of Wong brings five veteran defense attorneys to the Gee case. Christopher Harris is represented by Tim Timoney, James Elmore and Matthew Maurer, all of Springfield.

Defendants in death penalty cases are entitled to two attorneys who are certified to handle capital cases. Timoney said he is qualified but has not become certified because it is financially beneficial to the county to use his services as a public defender, a move that shifts the burden of legal fees to the state Capital Litigation Trust Fund.

The Harris brothers are due back in court for a Dec. 3 hearing.

eblunny@pantagraph.com

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/article_ca8068a0-ca6a-11de-b059-001cc4c002e0.html
Judge declines to second-guess decision in Beason documents case
By Edith Brady-Lunny | eblunny@pantagraph.com | Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 6:20 pm
LINCOLN -- A judge declined Thursday to second-guess a decision by another judge to seal search warrants in the Beason murder case that are the subject of a lawsuit by three newspapers.

The Pantagraph, the Herald & Review in Decatur and Springfield's State Journal-Register are seeking access to the Logan County records related to the slayings of Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children.

Christopher J. Harris and Jason L. Harris face more than 60 charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery and the attempted criminal sexual assault of victim Justina Constant. They also are accused of the attempted murder of 3-year-old Tabitha Gee.

Media lawyer Don Craven was given notice Wednesday that an order was filed Oct. 23 and signed by Logan County Judge Thomas Harris to seal the records.

According to the Illinois attorney general's office, Logan County prosecutors asked for the closure after consulting with the state office, which is assisting the local prosecutors with the homicide case.
At a hearing Thursday in Lincoln, Craven asked Woodford County Judge Charles Feeney III to consolidate the recent court order with the newspaper lawsuit, a request Feeney rejected.

"This court is not going to be an appellate court for the ruling by Judge Harris," said Feeney.

The newspapers filed a petition Oct. 23 against Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols and Logan County Circuit Clerk Suzann Maxheimer to ask that search warrants in the Gee case and others dating back as far as nine years be open to the public. As sheriff, Nichols is charged with returning the search documents to the clerk and Maxheimer is responsible for maintaining the records.

Judge Harris recused himself from hearing the media case because it involves two Logan County officials.

The practice of keeping records secret is improper, Craven argued.

"The constitutional presumption of open access to records is not a game of hide and seek," said Craven.

The Gee case documents involve a search warrant returned Oct. 22 by Nichols, said Kara Smith, deputy chief of staff for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. She said Judge Harris signed the order late on Oct. 22 but it was not filed with the clerk until the following day, after the media lawsuit was filed.

"The prosecutors determined that all of the information was of such a nature that they decided to seek a seal before the arraignments," Smith said.

The Harris brothers were arraigned Oct. 28.
The documents will remain sealed "just as long as the information remains sensitive," Smith said.

Logan County prosecutors have been advised of a 2007 opinion by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan that deemed search warrants to be open records, Smith said.

The next step in the records challenge will be a request to present arguments to Judge Harris on his decision to sign the court order and a second hearing in Feeney's courtroom on the closure of all the search warrants. Dates have not been set for those hearings.

[trimmonthelake]

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=117211
Secrecy Continues In Central Illinois Murder Case
riday, Nov 13, 2009 @09:40am CST

(Lincoln, IL) -- The judge presiding over the case of a murdered central Illinois family is putting another set of records off limits.
Logan County Judge Thomas Harris has sealed a pair of rulings for both Christopher and Jason Harris.
The Harris brothers are charged with killing the Gee family in their home in Beason earlier this fall.
The latest rulings in the case deal with specialists and experts for the defense.
But the order for secrecy is keeping the specifics away from the public.
That order is surprising advocates and even some of the lawyers handling the case.
The Illinois Attorney General's office is assisting prosecutors, but the AG's staff says they didn't ask for any orders to be sealed.
The move to keep the orders sealed is just the latest secrecy in the Gee family murders.
Police and prosecutors in Logan County have not made the search warrants in the case public, despite state law that requires the information in a warrant to be shared.
The Harris brothers are facing life in prison, prosecutors still have not said if they will seek the death penalty.

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.pjstar.com/news_state/x1659501915/Attorney-wants-evidence-preserved

Attorney wants evidence preserved
Judge grants motion in Jason Harris' murder trial
advertisement
By DYLAN POLK
GateHouse News Service
Posted Nov 16, 2009 @ 09:59 PM
LINCOLN —

The defense for an Armington man accused in the Beason murder case filed a motion for preservation of evidence Monday.

Jason L. Harris, 22, is charged in Logan County with the murder of five members of the Rick and Ruth Gee family in Beason last month. His brother, Christopher J. Harris, 30, also is charged with murder in the case.

With no objections from the prosecution, the judge granted defense attorney Steve Skelton's motion to preserve evidence, which he said the defense has not evaluated yet.

"As you would imagine, there are a great number of items that have been seized at various locations that are subject to testing," Skelton said.

Skelton said if the items were consumed, he would like the defense to have the opportunity to observe them. Skelton said the defense might consult with an expert to determine if consumption would take place.

Skelton said there are potentially 6,000 to 10,000 pages of physical evidence, and likely more than 100 videos of interviews with the suspects.

"If this were the iceberg that sunk the Titanic, we'd be looking at the very top right now," Skelton said.

Judge Thomas Harris, no relation to Jason Harris, reiterated to the defense that the court would require a seven-day notice before filing for motions in court. This follows after defense teams for both Christopher and Jason Harris appeared before Judge Harris with motions to appoint experts and investigators, all of which were immediately sealed by the court.

Jason Harris is set to appear in court at 11 a.m. Dec. 3.

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1659502335/Luciano-Attack-survivor-is-a-little-trooper
Luciano: Attack survivor is a little trooper

SUPPLIED PHOTO
Tabitha Gee, 4, is out of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center following the brutal attack on her and the murders of her family in Beason. The state police based in Germantown Hills guarded Tabitha 24-hours-a-day and plan to celebrate her survival on Monday.
By PHIL LUCIANO (pluciano@pjstar.com)
Journal Star
Posted Nov 18, 2009 @ 11:12 PM

After enduring hell on earth, little Tabitha Gee now thrives amid at least three blessings.

The 4-year-old is out of the hospital and will recover from her injuries, the only survivor of a quintuple murder that wiped out most of her family in September.

Fortunately, head injuries prevent her young mind from recalling the terrible ordeal, a brutal bloodbath that will forever stain the consciousness of her hometown of Beason and the rest of central Illinois.

She has melted the hearts of a fraternity of brethren who often must strike a stoic, steely professional pose: the Illinois State Police. Headquartered in Germantown Hills, District 8 troopers not only protected her in the hospital but gladly stepped in as playmates as she got better.
"We painted her toenails, read books to her, played games," says Sgt. Tony Halsey. "We pretty much adopted her as one of our own."

Now, local troopers are planning a birthday bash for the lass. And, if you want, you also can help foster joy in a life almost wiped out in the most heinous area slaying in recent times.

Rick Gee, 46, his wife, Ruth Gee, 39, and children Justina Constant, 16, Dillen Constant, 14, and Austin Gee, 11, were found dead in their home Sept. 21. Beason, population 200, is an unincorporated farming community near Lincoln, about 60 miles southeast of Peoria.

After an eight-day manhunt that left area residents edgy and nervous, police arrested Christopher Harris, 30, of Armington, the ex-husband of another Gee daughter, Nicole Gee. Days later, police also arrested his brother, Jason Harris, 22, also of Armington. Armed with a tire iron, the brothers allegedly entered the home and tried to attack Justina, then beat all six occupants in the head.

The sole survivor was Tabitha, then 3 years old, who was admitted in critical condition to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. Upon arriving, Tabitha was unconscious. From the attack, her head had ballooned, prompting doctors to temporarily remove a chunk of her skull to relieve pressure. Plus, she had fractured an arm, likely by raising it to ward off blows, Halsey says.

But after a few days, Tabitha regained consciousness. After repeated surgeries to address her head wounds, doctors made her skull whole. Her arm has healed, and she is expected to make a full recovery.

But she does not recall the night her family was slain. She might never regain that memory, Halsey says.

Then again, she has had other things on her mind. Like, fun - thanks to state troopers.

From the outset of her hospital stay, a protective detail was assigned to her hospital room - two at a time, 24-7. According to Halsey, troopers worried, "Would the person (who killed her family) come back and try to hurt her?"

The troopers encountered no trouble, but might have averted tragedy nonetheless. Before his arrest, Christopher Harris visited the girl at least once, Halsey says.

"Thank goodness we had two guys there," Halsey says. " ... If we hadn't been there, you never know if she'd still be here."

Tabitha apparently never asked for her parents or other family members, Halsey says. Thus, she has not been told of the massacre.

"Who knows what a 3-year-old remembers?" Halsey says.
Troopers step in

With her immediate family dead and extended kin rarely visiting, Tabitha turned to the troopers for recreation. She never felt apprehensive with the officers, who were dressed in plainclothes and otherwise inconspicuous as anything but tall playmates. The security detail was rotated among just 10 troopers, to ensure Tabitha's familiarity with them.

Like many active, feisty young girls, Tabitha usually called the shots about what games to play or books to read. She ran the troopers ragged.

"When you're 3, you're always on the go," Halsey says. "For some of the troopers, it was difficult, because they don't have kids and didn't know what to do."

But they learned fast - from Tabitha, as well as older colleagues with children of their own.

"They'd bring in toys and games from home," Halsey says.

In the first week of November, Tabitha was released from the hospital. Now under the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Tabitha is staying in the Chicago area with a licensed foster couple, one with no connection to the Gees. The girl also is seeing a counselor, who will look for emotional trauma or any other signs of her recalling the killings.

But her departure from Peoria doesn't mean she has left the minds or hearts of local troopers. Tabitha turned 4 this month, and on Monday troopers will host a birthday party for her at District 8 headquarters. During the party, she will be named an honorary trooper, an extremely rare designation. Further, she will get a badge and a miniature uniform, with her photo taken from the front seat of a police cruiser.

Though the party is closed to the public, you still can brighten the occasion. Though Halsey didn't ask for public outreach, I suggested well-wishers could send her a card or present. Halsey liked that idea. However, if you send along any greetings, please do not mention anything about her family or the tragedy. Birthday wishes alone are just fine.
n the future, troopers plan to launch a project for Tabitha, perhaps building an outdoor playhouse at her home. They intend to keep a tie to her.

"That's a little girl we'll remember the rest of our lives," Halsey says.

 

PHIL LUCIANO is a columnist with the Journal Star. He can be reached at pluciano@pjstar.com, 686-3155 or (800) 225-5757, Ext. 3155.

[trimmonthelake]

http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x2072231762/Hearing-later-this-month-on-DNA-testing-of-evidence-in-Beason-case
Harris case could take three years to go to trial
By AMANDA REAVY (amanda.reavy@sj-r.com)
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Dec 03, 2009 @ 09:54 PM
Last update Dec 04, 2009 @ 06:10 AM

LINCOLN — A Springfield attorney who is a member of the defense team for one of two brothers accused of killing five members of a Logan County family said Thursday it may be at least three years before the case goes to trial.

“This one will take more time than a normal murder case for a number of reasons — the number of the alleged victims, the amount of discovery, the fact that it’s a capital case,” Tim Timoney said. “That’s why I would guess no sooner than three years before we’d be ready to go to trial.”

The defense for Christopher J. Harris, 30, and Jason L. Harris, 22, received nearly 1,500 pages of pertinent documents during status hearings Thursday.

That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Based on our conversation with the attorney general’s and the state’s attorney’s office, we expect to have over 10,000 pages of discovery and about 100 DVDs or CDs … so we expect a lot more than what we got (Thursday),” Timoney, who serves as the Logan County public defender and is a member of Chris Harris’ defense team, said after the hearings.
The Harrises appeared separately in Logan County Circuit Court. Each faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, home invasion, armed robbery and attempted criminal sexual assault of one of the victims, related to the September slayings in the small town of Beason of Chris Harris’ former in-laws, Rick and Ruth Gee, and three of their children.

A fourth child, 4-year-old Tabitha Gee, survived the attack and is living in foster care.

Prosecutors still have not indicated whether they intend to seek the death penalty against the Harrises, though Timoney said the defense is making that assumption. A determination must be made within 120 days of the arraignment, which was Oct. 28.

Meanwhile, the prosecution and defense teams are expected to reach agreement regarding DNA testing on 25 pieces of evidence before another set of status hearings at the end of the month.

The evidence items include swabs collected from a tire iron — believed to be the murder weapon — found near Jason Harris’ home in Armington, a laptop belonging to Rick or Ruth Gee that was stolen during the attack and a tube of ointment found inside the Beason home of Christopher Harris’ ex-wife, Nicole Gee.

Nicole Gee, the adult daughter of Rick Gee, lives several blocks from the murder scene.

Prosecutors filed a motion earlier this week requesting the DNA testing with the understanding that the limited supply of the items may be used up during the testing process. The defense was given the opportunity to respond Thursday.

“We’ll have our expert look at the items before they’re tested and render an opinion on whether he agrees that the testing is consumptive testing, where it will be all used up. … If any items are at risk of being used up, we’ll ask our expert to be present during the testing. If the items are not used up in testing, than the items will be made available for our expert,” Timoney said.
Another status hearing is scheduled for Dec. 22 for Chris Harris to determine if the state and the defense can reach an agreement. Jason Harris will have a similar hearing the next day.

Also Thursday, assistant Illinois attorney general Michael Atterberry, a member of the prosecution team, provided the defense with more than 1,400 documents pertaining to the case.

The state had subpoenaed the Illinois State Police division of forensic services for the records, which included 1,000 state police documents, 400 grand jury testimony documents, seven DVDs and a CD containing evidence exhibits.

“We’ve been conducting our own investigations from the get-go, but now that we’ve started receiving the discovery, we can address our investigation with that in mind as well,” Timoney said.

He said remaining discovery items likely include photographs and videotape of the crime scene and witness interviews, adding, “I think the state police and attorney general’s office is compiling it together and are trying to give it to us in some orderly fashion.”

Timoney noted that the crime scene inside the Gees home on 2150th Avenue is still under law enforcement control, so defense attorneys haven’t had access to it.

“We’ve had some discussions to turn it over to us for us to be able to have our crime scene investigators come in,” Timoney said, though he doesn’t know when.

In addition to Timoney, Christopher Harris’ defense team is made up of Jay Elmore and Matthew Maurer. Steve Skelton and Stephanie Wong are representing Jason Harris.

Amanda Reavy can be reached at 788-1525.

[Nut44x4]

Holy crap.......another 2 years???

Posted: Friday, June 3, 2011 3:01 am

LINCOLN - It could be at least two more years before the first trial begins in the 2009 deaths of five members of a Beason family.

The defense lawyer for Christopher J. Harris, one of two brothers charged with bludgeoning Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children, said the volume of material to be reviewed makes a decision on a trial date impossible for at least 24 months.

"It is a monster of a case," lawyer James Elmore told Judge Thomas Harris on Thursday, during a hearing to review the progress of scientific testing of evidence in the case.
snipped
http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_fdce0634-2ac2-5ad2-92ff-b59b42fdb028.html

[Nut44x4]

https://herald-review.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/christopher-harris-sentenced-to-five-life-terms-for-gee-family/article_39990f6c-f0f5-11e2-a872-001a4bcf887a.html

Christopher Harris sentenced to five life terms for Gee family murders
By EDITH BRADY-LUNNY - Lee News Service Writer  Jul 20, 2013

LINCOLN — The little girl who was left for dead by Christopher Harris came to court Friday to deliver a message to him before he was sentenced to life in prison for killing her parents and three siblings.

“I am 7, and it still breaks my heart, and I wish you were dead and my brothers and sister and mommy and daddy were alive,” the child said through the statement read by her grandmother Judi Stogdell.

Harris was sentenced for the murders of Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children, Justina Contant, 16, Dillen Constant, 14, and Austin Gee, 11. He also received 30 years for the attempted murder of Tabitha, who lay severely injured for more than 12 hours before she was found by police.

He received an additional 20 years for armed robbery.      When given his chance to make a statement before the mandatory life sentence was imposed, the 34-year-old Armington man apologized to the family but denied he killed the Gees.

“I made a lot of stupid, stupid decisions that night, but I did not commit this crime,” Harris told McLean County Judge Scott Drazewski.

Logan County State’s Attorney Jonathan Wright asked for the maximum terms available on all charges, starting with life in prison on the murder charges and 30 years on each of the armed robbery, home invasion and attempted murder counts.

Wright asked the judge to consider Harris’ statement, noting that it was “deafening in its silence. There is no remorse, no ownership for what he has done.”