Elwood Killing: Glasgow Files Charges In Bigger's Death

JOLIET, IL — On Tuesday, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow filed six felony counts against 38-year-old Joliet resident Derrell Draper in connection Friday's early morning slaying at the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Elwood. Homicide victim Bobby Bigger of Shorewood and the murder defendant had just finished their shift at the Home Depot warehouse where they worked for a third-party vendor.

According to his obituary, Bigger "was a very hard and dedicated worker and enjoyed his career at Palnet USA as a forklift operator. He also managed the website and social media for White Fence Farm restaurant and carry-outs. Bobby was a kind, gentle and sweet man and he will be missed by many."

Tuesday's first-degree murder charge states that Draper, on Feb. 26, "without lawful justification, with the intent to kill or do great bodily harm to Robert Bigger, shot Robert Bigger with a firearm, thereby causing the death of Robert Bigger."

The killing happened along a stretch of Baseline Road before 3:30 a.m. Bigger was fatally shot as he was driving home from work.

The person who ended his life pulled right up to his car, opened fire and drove off.

The second charge, also for first-degree murder, states that "said defendant, without lawful justification, shot Robert Bigger with a firearm, knowing that such act would cause death to Robert Bigger, thereby causing the death of Robert Bigger."

The third charge, also for first-degree murder, states that "said defendant, without lawful justification, shot Robert Bigger with a firearm, knowing such act created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm to Robert Bigger, thereby causing the death of Robert Bigger."

The fourth charge is armed habitual criminal. Will County prosecutors say that Draper "knowingly possessed a firearm, after having been convicted of the offense of attempted robbery, a forcible felony, in Will County" in 2005 and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in 2003 and unlawful use of a weapon by a convicted felon back in 2003.

Counts five and six charges Draper with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Those charges state that Draper, having previously been convicted of a 2012 felony, aggravated battery in Will County, knowingly possessed a gun and ammunition on Feb. 26.

Draper was captured at his girlfriend's place in Justice, Ill., on Saturday. He was taken to the Will County Sheriff's Office in Joliet for questioning and then put in the Will County Jail.

His bail is steep. A Will County judge set it at $5 million, meaning that the Home Depot warehouse worker would need to come up with $500,000 cash to regain his freedom while awaiting trial.

"We're confident we got the right guy," Elwood Police Chief Fred Hayes told Joliet Patch Sunday evening. "This is kind of a big incident for the Will County area, so it's all hands on deck."