Bernadette "Bernie" Quasie, a 48-year-old resident of Joliet, Illinois, was fatally shot on December 20, 2023. The incident occurred at her home on Langsford Lane, which has a Plainfield mailing address. The perpetrator of the crime was identified as her 21-year-old son, Justen Holman.
Justen Holman called the Joliet police from the parking lot of an OfficeMax on North Larkin Avenue, implicating himself in the crime.
He informed the police that he had killed someone at his home, prompting officers to conduct a welfare check at the residence. Upon arrival, police found Bernadette Quasie unresponsive with gunshot wounds in her bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Will County Coroner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was a result of an argument between Justen Holman and his mother. The dispute was centered around a life insurance policy that Holman's parents had created for him, valued at $1-2 million. Holman felt pressured by his father to sign the policy but declined, suspecting that his parents wanted the policy because he did not have a job, children, or a social life. Additionally, Holman had been informed by his mother that he was to vacate the premises by January 19, 2024, which further escalated the tension between them.
After the shooting, Holman told police that he did not remember how many times he had shot his mother. He also mentioned that he had blood on his shoes and had been contemplating committing suicide or turning himself in to the police. Holman was taken into custody and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Will County Jail and is scheduled for a court hearing on January 5, 2024.
The Will County Coroner's office announced that the final cause and manner of Bernadette Quasie's death were pending an autopsy and toxicology reports. The gun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered by the police.
