BRADLEY JUSTICE GETS 81 YEARS IN MURDER OF PIZZA DELIVERY WOMAN

WHEATON – DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett today announced that thirty one year-old Bradley M. Justice (d.o.b. 10/31/1977), formerly of Sandwich, IL, was sentenced to eighty one years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the November 2006 murder of forty one year-old Karen Hassan (d.o.b. 4/21/1965) of St. Charles.  On April 16, 2009, Justice entered a blind plea of guilty to one count of First Degree Murder and one count of Armed Robbery in front of Judge Peter Dockery, who handed down today’s sentence.  Justice will be required to serve 100% of a seventy five year sentence on the First Degree Murder charge and 85% of a six year sentence on the Armed Robbery charge.  The sentences must be served consecutively.

On November 2, 2006 at approximately 8:37 p.m. Hassan, an employee of a St. Charles restaurant, left to deliver a pizza to 3N 361 Powis Road in unincorporated West Chicago.  When Hassan failed to return from the delivery, the restaurant’s manager became concerned and contacted Hassan’s family to see if they had heard from her.  With neither family members nor restaurant employees aware of Hassan’s whereabouts, the family filed a missing person report with the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.  On November 3, 2006, at approximately 1 a.m., DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered Hassan’s body under a truck at the West Chicago address.

An investigation into the murder of Karen Hassan revealed that shortly after 8 p.m. that evening, Justice, using a borrowed cellular phone from a neighboring business, placed an order for delivery from the restaurant where Hassan worked.  When Hassan arrived at the West Chicago address with the delivery order, Justice attacked her striking her repeatedly with a metal hammer on and about her head, killing her.  Justice then attempted to hide Hassan’s body under a truck on the property.  Justice also robbed Hassan during the attack.    On November 3, 2006, Justice was taken into custody without incident and brought to the DuPage County Jail after authorities located him in a hotel in Tuscola, IL.

“For the brutal murder of Karen Hassan, Bradley Justice will spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole,” remarked State’s Attorney Birkett.  “Karen Hassan was a loving, single mother doing her best to provide for her family.  On November 2, 2006, however, a chance meeting with Bradley Justice brought her life to violent end.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.  While nothing we do here today can bring Karen Hassan back to those who love and miss her, perhaps her family can take solace in knowing that the man responsible for her death will never again see a single day of freedom.  As Assistant State’s Attorney Bob Berlin stressed in court today, food delivery workers need protection and this sentence should deter anyone from committing a robbery of good people working to make ends meet.  I would like to thank the U.S. Marshall’s Office, DuPage County Sherriff John Zaruba and his staff, the Aurora and Sandwich Police Departments, the DuPage County Coroner’s Office and Assistant State’s Attorneys Bob Berlin and Audrey Anderson for pursuing justice in the name of Karen Hassan.”

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