Press Release
October 29, 2010
Joliet man sentenced to natural life in 2001 slaying
Paul Quintero
A jury found Paul Quintero, 34, guilty of shooting Washington multiple times in the side of his face on November 2, 2001. The victim’s body was discovered on the side of Farrell Road near U.S. 6. A sport utility vehicle Washington had been driving the evening he was killed had been torched and was found near McDonough Street and Joyce Road.
Associate Judge Robert Livas sentenced Quintero on Friday morning. The only possible penalty under the law is natural life in prison.
Washington was driving a sport utility vehicle in which Quintero was a passenger. Quintero asked Washington to pull over on Farrell Road so he could urinate. After he stepped outside, Quintero reached through the passenger window and opened fire on Washington.
“Paul Quintero is a vile miscreant with an abandoned and malignant heart who gunned down Darnell Washington in cold blood,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “While nothing can ever undo this tragedy, at least Darnell Washington’s parents can take solace in the fact that this murderer will spend the rest of his natural life staring at the cold, dark walls of an Illinois state prison cell.”
Quintero currently is serving a 38-year prison sentence for the 2000 shooting death of Michael Ceja in Joliet. The Ceja murder was still under investigation when Quintero killed Washington in November 2001. State’s Attorney Glasgow obtained a murder indictment against Quintero in 2006 in the Washington case. The prior state’s attorney had refused to prosecute Quintero for the Washington murder.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Jim Long and Adam Capelli prosecuted the case.
Contact: Charles B. Pelkie (815) 727-8789 (815) 530-7110 (cellular) cpelkie@willcountyillinois.com |
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