Sister of murder victim Holly Staker charged with attempted robbery
By Frank Abderholden Sun-Times Media fabderholden@suntimes.com January 27, 2012 6:42PM
Heather Staker
Article Extras
Updated: February 29, 2012 8:08AM
The troubled twin sister of Holly Staker, the Waukegan girl murdered in 1992, is being held in the Lake County Jail on a charge of attempted aggravated robbery.
Heather Staker, 31, went into a cigarette shop Wednesday and tried to rob it, but instead was overpowered by a clerk and held for police, sources said. Waukegan Police Chief Dan Greathouse, though, declined Friday to release any information on the arrest.
“The family has been through enough at this time,” Greathouse said through a spokesman.
Holly Staker was 11 when she was raped and killed Aug. 17, 1992, in the Waukegan apartment where she was baby-sitting two younger children.
Juan Rivera, who lived near the apartment, was convicted three times of the murder and spent 19 years in prison for the crime before finally being released this year because DNA evidence found in Holly’s body did not match him.
Heather Staker has struggled with addiction, been convicted of petty crimes and at least one felony. She has served time in prison. Her 4-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son are being raised by her mother, who lives in Wisconsin.
She recently told reporters she and her boyfriend were having financial difficulties, and she still owed a lot of money for medical bills because of a stroke and brain surgery four years ago.
And she said she still believes Rivera is guilty of her sister’s murder.
“I need closure,” she said, “I need to know what happened, exactly what (Holly) went through. Before I even knew she was dead, I knew she was dead. I felt it.”
She remains in the jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Comments Click here to view or make a comment