Kankakee man pleads guilty in 2020 double murder case

Aaron J. Thomas, a 38-year-old Kankakee resident, entered a blind guilty plea on Monday in connection with the 2020 double murders of Albert Zaragoza and Elliott Sheppard. The plea covers two counts of first-degree murder. Jury selection was originally set to begin Monday afternoon in Kankakee County Circuit Court, but Thomas' legal team notified Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott of the change in plans just before proceedings started.

A blind plea means the defendant admits guilt without agreeing to a specific sentence. The judge retains full discretion within statutory limits to determine the penalty. Court officials confirmed that Thomas' sentencing hearing is now scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027. He remains in custody at the Jerome Combs Detention Center while awaiting that date.

The plea resolved two of the charges against Thomas but left the disposition of other murder counts pending. Court records show that a possession of a stolen vehicle charge and an aggravated battery charge, both stemming from the October 2020 incident, were dismissed on Monday. Thomas' attorneys also addressed a procedural issue regarding his legal representation.

Jaime Boyd, Thomas' attorney, disclosed a potential conflict of interest during a pretrial hearing last week. Boyd represents clients in Iroquois County, including a man married to the daughter of one of Thomas' victims. Thomas verbally waived the conflict on Oct. 29 and signed the physical waiver in front of Judge Bradshaw-Elliott on Monday.

Kankakee police arrested Thomas and Joseph Jaworowski in August 2020 after discovering the bodies of Zaragoza and Sheppard in their apartment building on the 400 block of West Bourbonnais Street. Jaworowski pleaded guilty in March 2021 to killing Zaragoza and is currently serving a 36-year prison sentence. Prosecutors noted during his sentencing that both victims had been strangled.

Zaragoza's body was found in his room on Aug. 11, 2020. His Ford F150 pickup truck was missing at the time and was recovered four days later by Illinois State Police on Interstate 88 near Dixon. Police found Jaworowski's personal effects and receipts from Milwaukee and Illinois inside the vehicle. Investigators identified Jaworowski on video from a gas station and apprehended him in Dixon on Aug. 15, 2020. Police located Sheppard's body in the building's attic the same day. Thomas was arrested the following day, Aug. 16, 2020.