In Kankakee County Courtroom 309, proceedings continued in the murder trial for 30-year-old Xandria Harris today. Harris is accused of aiding Darius Sullivan in the 2021 shooting death of Bradley Police Sergeant Marlene Rittmanic and the severe wounding of her then-partner, Officer Tyler Bailey. Sullivan was tried and convicted last year for his part in the crime and is currently serving a life sentence.
The morning session began with the state showing body camera footage from one of the responding officers. The video showed Bailey lying unconscious on the floor in the hallway of the Bradley hotel where he was wounded, before being dragged down the stairs by officers and taken out to an ambulance.
Following the video, retired Bradley Police Sergeant Tyler Bailey took the stand. Bailey, who was an assistant patrol officer at the time of the shooting, testified that he does not remember anything that transpired that night. He told the court that since the incident, he can no longer work, requires round-the-clock care, has a seizure condition, and is bound to a wheelchair. The defense did not have any questions for Sergeant Bailey and thanked him for his service. Following his testimony, Harris was seen crying and grabbing tissues to wipe her face.
During the afternoon session, the prosecution called two medical experts to the stand. The first witness, Dr. Tim Moran, who treated Officer Bailey at Saint Mary’s Hospital, testified that Bailey suffered two gunshot wounds to the head and called it a miracle that he is alive. The second witness, Forensic Pathologist Dr. James Filkins, performed the autopsy on Sergeant Rittmanic. He testified that her cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, specifically noting two bullets that entered through her neck, with one turning upwards into her skull and causing severe fractures. The defense chose not to cross-examine either witness.
Later in the afternoon, the sound of silence and tears fell over the courtroom as body camera footage from Sergeant Rittmanic’s fatal shooting was played for the jury. The state introduced the video to help jurors determine whether Harris assisted Sullivan during the attack. Harris is seen in the video along side Sullivan during the shooting.
The trial picks back up at 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning and is expected to last through Friday.