Jury Returns “Guilty” Verdict in 1978 Downers Grove Double Homicide

DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett announced that a jury this evening returned verdicts of guilty against Billy Lee Warren, 53 (d.o.b. 3/13/51), of 4213 Wenonah of Stickney for the 1978 double homicide of a Downers Grove couple.  Warren had been charged with two (2) counts of First Degree Murder in connection with the May 17, 1978 deaths of Glenn and Betty Schulz, both age 52, of 1051 68th Street in Downers Grove.  The case had remained unsolved for 23 years when in late 2000 the Downers Grove Police Department began an intensive review of the Schulz homicides, meeting once a month with approximately fifteen (15) staff members of the Department and Assistant State’s Attorney Liam Brennan from Birkett’s Office.  During the course of pursuing old leads, interviews uncovered information that lead to Warren’s September 2001 arrest.

Following eight (8) hours of deliberation today, a DuPage County jury returned verdicts of guilty for the murders of both Glenn and Betty Schulz.  Judge Ann Jorgensen set a date of March 7th for post-trial motions and pre-sentencing reports in courtroom 4000 at 9 a.m.

Testimony during the two week trial revealed that on the morning of May 17th in 1978, the son-in-law of Glenn and Betty Schulz arrived to pick up his two children, ages 2 and 5, who had spent the night at their grandparents’ home.  What he discovered was the viciously murdered bodies of his in-laws in the bedroom of their Downers Grove home.  The hands and feet of both Glenn and Betty Schulz had been bound, and Glenn had been gagged.  Each had been stabbed multiple times.  The two grandchildren were found unharmed in the residence.  For 23 years the case remained active yet unsolved until 2001 when the Downers Grove Police Department began to intensify its investigation.  During the course of re-interviewing witnesses, Warren’s 1978 alibi disintegrated, and following additional investigation, he was charged with the 1978 murders.

Warren had worked at the Wilbert Burial Vault Company in Broadview where Glenn Schulz, served as his supervisor.  Testimony revealed that Warren secretly entered the Schulz home during the evening of May 16, 1978 and tied the hands and feet of both Glenn and Betty, then stabbed them multiple times, thereby causing their deaths. 

“Justice has been served for Glenn and Betty,” State’s Attorney Birkett declared this evening.  “I strongly commend the men and women of the Downers Grove Police Department for an outstanding job in the solving of these now 26 year old murders.  Further, the teamwork that went on between all of them, as well as between the Downers Grove Police Department and our outstanding trial team of Assistant State’s Attorneys Jeff Kendall, Jane Radostits and Liam Brennan, is another example of the dedication of law enforcement.”

Warren will be sentenced under the penalty provisions for murder in 1978, which were 20-40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 40-80 years in prison, Natural Life or the Death Penalty, if certain aggravating factors were found.  The State has already announced its decision not to seek the Death Penalty in this case.  Warren will remain in the custody of the DuPage County Jail in Wheaton until he is sentenced.

“Justice has been served here tonight,” State’s Attorney Birkett reiterated.  “We thank the jury in this case for their hard work and dedication.  Glenn and Betty Schulz may finally rest in peace.”