A 20-year-old Canadian man methodically stalked and tracked a Westmont woman before killing her Wednesday night in Oak Brook — even stopping to reload his gun and continue shooting during the attack.
DuPage County Judge Michael Wolfe denied bail Thursday for Dmitry Smirnov of Surrey, British Columbia, who is charged with the first-degree murder of Jitka Vesel, 36.
In court Thursday, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said Smirnov met Vesel in 2008 through an Internet dating site. After they met, Smirnov moved to the United States.
But the relationship soured, and Smirnov moved back to Canada. Since 2009, Berlin said, he has been harassing Vesel. She filed a complaint that year with the Berwyn Police Department over harassing e-mail and telephone calls, Berlin said.
About two weeks ago, Smirnov decided to leave Canada, returning to the United States, Berlin said. He first stopped in Seattle to buy a .40-caliber handgun and ammunition.
Smirnov arrived in Chicago last weekend, using the Internet to locate Vesel’s home, Berlin said. He then used a GPS tracking device, which he glued to Vesel’s car, to track her movements via the Internet, Berlin said.
He was waiting for Vesel when she went to her car in the parking lot of the Windsor Office Park in Oak Brook, Wednesday night.
“He ran up to her, he began shooting, he reloaded and shot her some more,” Berlin said. “She fell on the ground and he kept shooting. He shot her numerous times.”
Smirnov then fled the scene, calling Chicago police to tell them he had killed a woman in Oak Brook, Berlin said. Chicago police contacted Oak Brook authorities, and Smirnov turned himself in to a Romeoville police officer.
Eleven shell casings were recovered at the scene, Berlin said, and investigators found the gun in Smirnov’s car.
Berlin said Smirnov had done research on the Internet to determine if Illinois had the death penalty, deciding to go through with Vesel’s murder when he discovered it does not.
Smirnov could face up to life in prison. His next scheduled court date is May 9.
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looks like CANADIANS are not as peace-loving as everyone says they are... |
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