Hillside Man Convicted of Murder for Running Down Ex-Coworker Outside West Loop Club

A Cook County jury has convicted forty-something Hillside resident Joseph Verdone of first-degree murder for running over and killing 22-year-old Enrique Martinez outside a West Loop nightclub in September 2022, nearly four years before the verdict came down. Verdone drove his sedan onto the sidewalk in the 100 block of North Lind Avenue and struck Martinez, who died at the scene, before fleeing the area.

According to ABC7 Chicago, the jury returned its guilty verdict this week, and Verdone is due back in court for a pre-sentencing hearing on September 22. The station reports he faces several years in prison as a result of the conviction, though the case has taken years to reach this point since the fatal crash.

An Argument Outside The Mine Music Hall Turned Deadly

The roots of the case trace back to roughly 4:18 a.m. on the night of the crash, when Verdone exchanged “heated words” with Martinez outside The Mine Music Hall at 1431 West Lake Street, according to Cook County prosecutors cited by CWB Chicago. Martinez, a former employee of the club who was there as a patron, reportedly got into the confrontation with Verdone after club security had ejected Verdone and his girlfriend following a disruption.

Prosecutors said surveillance footage reviewed after the crash showed Verdone driving onto the sidewalk and “carefully” centering his vehicle between a building and trees positioned behind Martinez and a companion before accelerating directly into them. The outlet reported that Martinez was dragged 60 feet, and that the vehicle did not slow down until Verdone ran a red light at Randolph Street while fleeing. Martinez, a 22-year-old resident of Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, had been walking toward Ogden Avenue with a friend when he was struck.

Forensic Evidence Led Police to Verdone's Door

When Chicago police tracked down Verdone's vehicle outside his Hillside home in the days following the crash, they found it freshly washed but still bearing body damage consistent with the impact, along with a substance suspected to be blood on its undercarriage, per the same CWB Chicago account. That evidence became central to prosecutors' argument that the collision was no accident.

Court records also show Verdone was a four-time convicted felon at the time of the crash, having been sentenced to prison in 2019 for manufacturing and delivering cannabis while on probation for a methamphetamine delivery conviction, the outlet reported. That criminal history featured prominently as Verdone spent years fighting for release ahead of trial.

Years of Pretrial Detention Before the Verdict

Verdone was held without bail for most of the nearly four years between the crash and his conviction. In January, the Illinois Appellate Court affirmed his continued pretrial detention under the state's Pretrial Fairness Act, rejecting his petition for release even though he had submitted 38 letters of support from family and community members, according to CaseMine. Verdone had argued he posed no threat to the public because he lacked prior violent convictions, but the court was not persuaded.

Under Illinois Criminal Code 720 ILCS 5/9-1, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of 20 to 60 years, and state law requires the full term to be served without eligibility for probation or early release for good behavior, according to the Law Offices of Andrew M. Weisberg. Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011, leaving lengthy prison terms or natural life as the maximum penalties available.

A Rare Conviction Amid Chicago's Hit-and-Run Crisis

Verdone's case stands out because deliberate vehicular attacks that result in first-degree murder charges are uncommon compared to the sheer volume of hit-and-run crashes across Chicago. A March 2026 study analyzing Chicago Police Department crash data found that fleeing drivers accounted for 55% of all pedestrian fatalities in the city, more than double the national average of 24%, while overall hit-and-run arrests remained under 1%, according to Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. That report noted more than 30,000 hit-and-run crashes occur in the city annually.

City transportation safety records show that 85% of traffic fatalities across Chicago involve reckless driving behaviors, with high speeds contributing to 72% of fatal crashes, according to the City of Chicago. The city has responded with speed cameras and Vision Zero redesigns aimed at curbing reckless driving citywide.

Families of violent crime victims, including those affected by fatal hit-and-run cases, may be eligible for financial help through the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program, which offers up to $45,000 for medical and funeral expenses for crimes occurring after August 2022, per the same Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. account. That cap was increased from $27,000 that same month. Verdone's sentencing hearing next month will determine how much of the mandatory 20-to-60-year range he ultimately serves for Martinez's death.