Homer Glen couple now face murder charges for November death of 2-year-old child
Edward Weiher, 49, and Alexa Balen, 28, were indicted Monday on first-degree murder charges, which allege they failed to seek timely medical care for their child, Trinity Balen-Weiher, after knowing the toddler was experiencing an overdose episode at their Homer Glen home in November, according to the Will County sheriff's office and Will County court documents.
The charges state the couple allowed Trinity access to a controlled substance, which caused her death.
The couple has also been charged with endangering the life or health of a child, a felony, in connection with Trinity's death as well as endangering the life or health of a child, a misdemeanor, for providing unsafe living conditions for another child in the home, the charges state.
The other child, Balen's daughter, was subsequently placed in protective custody and later released to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the sheriff's office said.
Weiher and Balen were also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a felony.
The Will County sheriff's office responded to a 911 call Nov. 6 about an unresponsive child.
When police arrived, Weiher was giving chest compressions to Trinity on an ottoman in their living room, the sheriff's office said.
The Homer Township Fire Department took Trinity to Silver Cross Hospital, where she died Nov. 7.
An investigation at the Thorn Apple Drive home that Weiher bought for $900,000 found deplorable living conditions, which included garbage, rotting food, soiled diapers and clothing, medical waste and significant evidence of narcotics use, police and court documents said.
The coroner's report from January states that Trinity died of fentanyl, cocaine and bromazolam intoxication, according to court documents.
Detectives reviewed Balen's web search history, which included a search on how to stop an overdose, court records show. They also located a receipt for the overdose medication Narcan that the couple ordered to be delivered. Court documents also state Trinity would have begun overdosing for about three hours and 41 minutes before Balen called 911.
Heroin and Xanax pills were discovered throughout the home, within reach of both children, the sheriff's office said. Police also found multiple doses of used Narcan near Trinity.
Prosecutors retained an expert in medical toxicology and emergency medicine who opined that if paramedics were immediately on the scene, Trinity could have survived.
'If the EMS system were activated when the child became sleepy or symptomatic of an overdose there would be have been a chain of life-saving measures instituted,' Dr. Steven E. Aks said in court documents. 'Rapid administration of naloxone could have woken the child up and may have been lifesaving.'
The parents in November were initially charged with a felony count of endangering the life or health of a child, two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of endangering the life or health of a child, and were ordered held in custody.
Earlier this year, the couple petitioned for pre-trial release, which was granted under several conditions, including home confinement, electronic monitoring and having no contact with any minor child.
The couple's attorney, Cosmo Tedone, said they are not a flight risk and have been compliant with their pretrial conditions.
Balen spent a month in an in-patient drug treatment facility, Tedone said. The couple has been on home confinement and electronic monitoring, is seeking medical help and has complied with weekly drug testing, Tedone said.
They haven't tested positive for drugs, he said.
Tedone said he will be fighting the upgraded charges and will review the state's expert witness report, which he believes to have holes.
The case could go to trial sometime next year, Tedone said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Police find car they say was driven by man wanted in killing of 4 in Tennessee
NASHVILLE — Authorities searching for a man wanted in the killing of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive in Tennessee uncovered a car Friday they believe the suspect was living in and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The abandoned car that police said 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond had been driving was found in Jackson, Tenn., about 70 miles from where the bodies were found and some 40 miles from where the baby was left in a car seat in a front yard. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said at a news conference that he believes it was a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the family. He is most likely still in the area and should be considered armed and dangerous, Rausch said. Drummond dropped off the infant and brought attention to people nearby to come get the child, Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for, said Stephen Sutton, a spokesperson for the Lake and Dyer county sheriffs. 'While this was an extremely tragic and violent event, ... there was a sign of compassion, if you will, that we know happened,' Rausch said. 'That tells us that there's a possibility that Austin may have a sense that there is hope for him to be able to come in and have a conversation about what happened.' The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said it obtained warrants for Drummond charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. Authorities have not yet answered questions about the manner in which the four were killed. According to court records, Drummond had spent years in prison for robbing a convenience store as a 16-year-old and threatening jurors. He was tried as an adult for the July 2013 robbery in Jackson, Tenn. During the incident, he pointed a pistol at the gas station store worker and ordered them to open the cash register, taking the $44 inside, court records show. At a 2020 hearing in which he was denied parole, Drummond said he was on Xanax the night of the robbery and doesn't remember robbing the gas station. He said his pistol was a BB gun. After the jury convicted him of one count of aggravated robbery in August 2014, he threatened to go after jurors, Drummond said during the parole hearing. He pleaded guilty in February 2015 to 13 counts of retaliation for past action. The district attorney that covers Madison County, Jody Pickens, urged against early release for Drummond, writing a letter in 2020 that called him 'a dangerous felony offender and a confirmed member of the Vice Lords,' a street gang. Pickens wrote that Drummond made the threats against jurors and the victim in the robbery during a phone call with his father. The Associated Press obtained audio and documents from the parole board hearing through public records requests. Drummond was given a combined 13-year sentence. As of the 2020 parole hearing, Drummond had more than two dozen disciplinary issues in prison, including possession of a deadly weapon, assault, refusing a drug test and gang activity. Drummond said the assault and the deadly weapon charges occurred because he was almost beaten to death. Drummond was charged criminally for activities inside the prison, included attempted murder, after he completed the sentence that put him behind bars, Dist. Atty. Danny Goodman said at the news conference. Drummond was out on bond on the other charges at the time of the killings, Goodman said. The investigation began after an infant in a car seat was found in a front yard in the Tigrett area on Tuesday afternoon. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on social media that a caller reported the infant had been dropped off by a minivan or midsize SUV at a 'random individual's front yard.' The statement was accompanied by a photo of the baby in a paramedic's arms. After identifying the infant, the Sheriff's Office said that night it was working with investigators in neighboring Lake County, where four people had been found dead. On Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the four as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the infant's parents, and Rose was Adrianna and Braydon Williams' mother, according to Goodman. All four of the victims lived in Dyer County, he said. Immediately after discovering the infant, investigators started looking for the baby's family and soon learned the four relatives had not been seen since the night before, Goodman said. Then a relative called 911 after finding two vehicles in a remote area. The four bodies were found in nearby woods in Tiptonville, Goodman said. All four victims had been killed, he said, but he declined to say how. Authorities did not name the infant, but an obituary for Wilson says he is survived by his daughter, Weslynne Wilson. An attorney who represented Drummond in his case as a teenager did not immediately return a message requesting a comment. A telephone listing for Drummond could not be found. Mattise writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Md., contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Police find a car they say was driven by the man wanted in the death of 4 Tennessee family members
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities searching for the man wanted in the killing of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive in Tennessee uncovered a car Friday that they believe the suspect was living in and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The unoccupied car that police said 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond had been driving was found in Jackson, Tennessee, about 70 miles from where the bodies were found and some 40 miles from where the baby was left in a car seat in a front yard. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said at a news conference that he believes it was a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the family. He is most likely still in the area and should be considered armed and dangerous, Rausch said. Drummond dropped off the infant off and brought attention to people nearby to come get the child, Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for, said Stephen Sutton, a spokesperson for the Lake and Dyer county sheriffs. 'While this was an extremely tragic and violent event, that there was a sign of compassion, if you will, that we know happened,' Rausch said. 'That tells us that there's a possibility that Austin may have a sense that there is hope for him to be able to come in and have a conversation about what happened.' The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said it obtained warrants for Drummond charging him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. Authorities have not yet answered questions about the manner in which the four were killed. According to court records, Drummond had spent years in prison for robbing a convenience store as a 16-year-old and threatening to go after jurors. He was tried as an adult for the July 2013 robbery in Jackson, Tennessee. During the incident, he pointed a pistol at the gas station store worker and ordered the cash register to be opened, taking the $44 inside, court records show. At a 2020 hearing in which he was denied parole, Drummond said he was on Xanax the night of the robbery and doesn't remember robbing the gas station. He said the gun was a BB gun. After the jury convicted him of one count of aggravated robbery in August 2014, he made threats to go after jurors, Drummond said during the parole hearing. He pleaded guilty in February 2015 to 13 counts of retaliation for past action. The district attorney that covers Madison County, Jody Pickens, urged against early release for Drummond, writing a letter in 2020 that called him 'a dangerous felony offender and a confirmed member of the Vice Lords,' a street gang. Pickens wrote that Drummond made the threats against jurors and the victim in the robbery during a phone call with his father. The Associated Press obtained audio and documents from the parole board hearing through public records requests. Drummond was given a combined 13-year sentence. His sentence ended in September 2024, according to Tennessee Department of Correction records. As of the 2020 parole hearing, Drummond had more than two dozen disciplinary issues in prison, including possession of a deadly weapon, assault, refusing a drug test and gang activity. Drummond said the assault and the deadly weapon charges occurred because he was almost beaten to death. Drummond was charged criminally for activities inside the prison, included attempted murder, after he completed the sentence that put him behind bars, District Attorney Danny Goodman said at the news conference. Drummond was out on bond on the other charges at the time of the killings, Goodman said. The investigation began after an infant in a car seat was found in a front yard in the Tigrett area on Tuesday afternoon. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted on social media that a caller reported the infant had been dropped off by a minivan or mid-size SUV at a 'random individual's front yard' with a photo of the baby in a paramedic's arms. After identifying the infant, the sheriff's office said later that night that they were working with investigators in neighboring Lake County where four people had been found dead. On Wednesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the four people found dead in Tiptonville as James M. Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the infant's parents, and Rose was Adrianna and Braydon Williams' mother, according to Goodman. All four of the victims lived in Dyer County, he said. Immediately after discovering the infant, investigators started looking for the baby's family and soon learned the four relatives had not been seen since the night before, Goodman said. Then a relative called 911 after finding two vehicles in a remote area. The four bodies were found in nearby woods, Goodman said. All four victims had been killed, Goodman said, but he declined to say how. Authorities did not name the infant, but an obituary for Wilson says he is survived by his daughter, Weslynne Wilson. An attorney who represented Drummond in his case as a teenager did not immediately return a message requesting a comment. A telephone listing for Drummond could not be found. ___ Reporter Sarah Brumfield contributed from Cockeysville, Maryland. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Chicago Tribune
14 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Government sues Silver Cross Hospital over mandatory COVID-19 vaccines; ex-employees say rights violated
Silver Cross Hospital violated federal law when it fired two employees in 2021 who did not comply with the New Lenox hospital's mandatory policy that all employees be vaccinated for COVID-19, lawsuits from the allege. The employees had asked for, and been denied, reasonable accommodation when they asked to be exempt from the vaccination policy due to religious and disability reasons, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charged in lawsuits filed Thursday in federal court in Chicago. A spokeswoman for Silver Cross said Friday the hospital does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation or employment-related matters. 'As a regional healthcare provider, Silver Cross Hospital's foremost responsibility is to ensure the health and safety of our patients, our staff and the communities we serve,' she said in an email. One employee, Sarah Kotan, who worked in the hospital's lab, requested a religious accommodation because taking the COVID-19 vaccine conflicted with her religious beliefs and practices, one of the EEOC's lawsuit alleges. Debra Phillips, who worked in the hospital's insurance department, requested an accommodation based on disability after she had a severe allergic reaction to the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the EEOC said in her lawsuit. Silver Cross denied their requests for accommodation and fired them, even though the hospital could have put safeguards in place, such as requiring both to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, the EEOC lawsuits say. Kotan and Phillips are seeking unspecified monetary damages, including back pay, according to the complaints. Silver Cross enacted a policy in September 2021 requiring all employees be vaccinated by the end of October of that year, but allowed for employees to seek exemptions, the lawsuits say. The EEOC said Kotan and Phillips had their exemption requests denied, and when they appealed those were denied as well. The EEOC said it tried negotiating with the hospital in both cases in order to avoid a lawsuit, but was unable in either instance to secure a settlement agreeable to the commission. Krotan was fired from her lab job in October 2021, and Phillips from her insurance department job in December 2021, although she was never told she had been fired after being placed on unpaid leave from Silver Cross, according to the EEOC. Phillips' lawsuit alleges that she didn't find out she had been fired and believed she was still on unpaid leave until February 2022, when she asked the hospital for a copy of her personnel record. 'Absent an undue hardship, civil rights laws affirmatively require employers to accommodate an employee's disability and religious practices,' said Andrea Lucas, the EEOC's acting chair, in a news release Friday announcing the lawsuits. 'Unfortunately, many employers' vaccine mandates turned a blind eye to these long-standing civil rights laws. However, the novelty of the COVID-19 pandemic is not a shield for employers to engage in garden variety discrimination.'
