Crime & Safety

Pretrial Set for Monday for Man Accused of Attacking Wife With Hammer

John Sadler of Romeoville faces charges in the 2010 death of his wife of more than 45 years.

Nearly two years after his wife’s death, John Sadler will be back in court Monday for a pretrial hearing in the case, which stems from an alleged hammer attack on Carol Sadler, 66.

John Sadler, now 69, is charged with aggravated battery of a senior citizen and aggravated domestic abuse. Police said Sadler struck his wife in the head with a hammer in July 2010.

Her body was discovered inside the couple’s home in the Grand Haven subdivision some 10 days later, according to police.

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The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office did not pursue murder charges against Sadler after autopsy results failed to conclusively show that the blow to the head killed Carol Sadler. In October 2010, pathologists determined that the Romeoville woman, who reportedly suffered from heart and respiratory ailments, died of a heart attack.

Police said Carol Sadler’s body was discovered after the couple’s daughter contacted police on July 26, 2010, saying she had been unable to reach her mother.

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Assistant Police Chief Steve Lucchesi said John Sadler claimed his wife was in Michigan and would return later in the afternoon.

But after a second call from the couple’s daughter, police said, officers who responded to the Benzie Circle home detected a foul odor and brought in a cadaver dog. The canine indicated the presence of human remains at the home.

When confronted with the dog’s findings, Sadler admitted his wife was dead, police said.

A pretrial hearing before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday.


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