Trial Date Set in 2012 Murder of Former Hometown Woman

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL -- A trial date has been been set for a man accused of killing his girlfriend in 2012 inside the Chicago Heights home they shared with their two young son. George Kleopa, now 37, has remained free on a $200,000 bond after being charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of his live-in girlfriend.

Kleopa and Michele Peters had been a couple for 14 years when the 30-year-old Peters was found shot in the face on March 6, 2012. The dead woman's friends and family members allege the relationship was abusive and that Peters was planning to leave Kleopa and move back to Hometown where she grew up, with the couple's sons.

Kleopa, originally from Oak Forest,was not arrested and charged until four months after Peters' death. At the time of his arrest prosecutors said in court that Kleopa changed his story several times when interviewed by Chicago Heights police of how Peters came to be fatally shot.

Witnesses said they heard the couple arguing the night Peters was shot. Kleopa maintains that the gun, a Springfield Armory XD 40 pistol, discharged accidentally, striking the mother of his children in the face.

Kleopa appeared before Cook County Judge Allen Murphy in Markham, along with his attorneys, David Sotomayor and Theodore Gailin. Kleopa’s attorneys had one last go around with prosecutor Nicholas D’Angelo over an expert witnesses who is a firearm safety expert.

D’Angelo contended that the defense was trying to isolate Kleopa from taking the stand by having the expert witness explain how the gun “accidentally discharged.” The prosecutor said the expert’s “hearsay” testimony is based on a demonstration Kleopa gave in the firearm safety expert's office with the gun two years after the shooting.

“There has to be some reliability of data to back that opinion,” D’Angelo argued, who said the pistol required a six-pound pull to produce a discharge. “The defendant has a self-serving interest on how he manipulated the gun.”

Gailin accused the prosecutor of trying to eliminate testimony that could exonerate his client.

“The issue is whether he deliberately shot the gun,” Gailin said. “The expert said the discharge could have been fired by accident. It’s up to the prosecution in cross examination of an opposing party to give a weight to expert’s opinion.”

Murphy ruled that there was “no way under the sun” that the defense’s expert witness would be able to testify that the gun discharged accidentally the night Peters was shot based on one office demonstration two years after the shooting.

“The only person who can testify to that is Mr. Kleopa on how he fired the firearm,” the judge said. “The expert can only testify to the functioning of the gun. [The witness] cannot render any other opinion.”

The judge did say that the expert could watch Kleopa demonstrate how he handled the gun in open court and then be allowed to comment.

D’Angelo also revoked an earlier plea deal offer made to Kleopa to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in exchange for a 10-year prison sentence. If convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, Kleopa faces a sentence of minimum of 45 years to life. Kleopa indicated he did not want to make such a deal.

After the hearing, Sotomayor said the judge made the right decision.

“It was an accidental shooting and will come out in trial,” Kleopa’s attorney said. “He’s not guilty of murder despite what everyone says.”

Peters’ mother, Catherine Peters-Bird, who has attended every court hearing for nearly five years, said she was relieved that her daughter would finally get some small measure of justice.

“I’m ecstatic that there is date to put this man out there where people can see the truth,” she said.

Photo: Cook County Sheriff's booking photo of George Kleopa in 2012.