Palos Township teen accused of killing parents gets public defender
By Lauren FitzPatrick Sun-Times Media lfitzpatrick@suntimes.com June 27, 2012 3:28PM
John Granat
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Updated: June 27, 2012 5:06PM
A south suburban teen accused of killing his parents, with help from his friends, is getting a new attorney funded by taxpayers.
John Granat Jr.’s private attorney, Rick Beuke, told Judge Neil Linehan Wednesday morning he was withdrawing from the case. Beuke, who has maintained the innocence of John and Maria Granat’s only child since the September murders, would not elaborate after court.
“No comment,” he said. “Call the family,” he said.
A public defender will represent Granat, now 18. The teen and three of his friends, Christopher Wyma of Bridgeview; Mohammed Salahat of Chicago Ridge, and Ehab Qasem of Hickory Hills, stand charged with murdering the Polish-born Granats in their home in the 12700 block of South 81st Court in Palos Township.
The couple were found dead on Sept. 11 after their son called 911. Granat was charged within days of their deaths after sheriff’s police said his alibi fell apart.
His friends, who authorities say split the thousands of dollars they found in the Granat home, kept going to school at Stagg High School in Palos Hills and Oak Lawn High School for about a month before they were arrested and charged.
