Walter R. Moran, 32, of Cicero, Illinois, was found guilty on April 24 following a week-long jury trial for his role in an armed robbery at a Circle-K store in Marengo. The charges included Armed Robbery, Armed Violence, and Aggravated Battery.
The case drew attention due to the violent nature of the crime and its impact on community safety. According to evidence presented at trial, Moran and another masked individual entered the store early on February 24, 2021. Surveillance footage showed them confronting the lone employee at approximately 3:37 a.m., stealing money from the register and demanding access to the safe. When the clerk could not open it, one offender pistol-whipped him while holding him at gunpoint before Moran counted to three and shot him in the thigh. The offenders then fled with a third accomplice waiting outside.
The other individuals involved have already been sentenced for their roles. Gregory Garner of Chicago pleaded guilty as getaway driver and received a sentence of 13 years in prison on October 30, 2023. Antonio Pedrote of Chicago also pleaded guilty as one of the masked offenders and was sentenced to 25 years on July 11, 2025.
Sentencing for Moran is scheduled for July 23.
“What this man did was a deliberate, cold-blooded decision to shoot a compliant, defenseless victim who posed no threat whatsoever,” said State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese. “Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement and the commitment of our prosecution team, all individuals responsible for this crime have been brought to justice. While incidents like this are rare in McHenry County, we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our community and hold violent offenders fully accountable.” Freese thanked Detective Andrew Taylor from Marengo Police Department along with several other law enforcement agencies for their efforts during investigation and trial.
In unrelated educational statistics reported by the Illinois State Board of Education, McHenry County had an average student-to-teacher ratio of fourteen-to-one during the last school year with over forty-five thousand students enrolled across eighty-one schools served by more than three thousand full-time faculty members; teacher absenteeism stood at thirty-four percent—slightly below state average—and Huntley High School recorded both highest white student enrollment (2,133) as well as highest multiracial student enrollment (135), Harvard High School had highest Hispanic enrollment (574), while Harry D. Jacobs High School saw most Black students enrolled (87).
This case was prosecuted by Chief of Staff Ashley Romito alongside Special Prosecutor William Bruce and Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Neubauer.
