Salem Village To Close After Fatal Laundry Room Attack: WJOL
JOLIET, IL — Two months after one of Salem Village’s most explosive and violent residents, William “Bill” Paschall, punched fellow resident Michael Pappas in the head several times ending his life, according to authorities, Salem Village has let its staff and the residents know it is permanently closing come March 15, WJOL, Joliet’s news radio reported on Tuesday morning.
Since Joliet police arrested the 71-year-old Paschall for the Nov. 17 laundry room death, families are choosing to pull their loved ones from Salem Village and others are bypassing Salem Village altogether, when it comes to nursing home placement.
WJOL reported that Salem Village has less than half the building filled. It can house 272 people, and now it’s down to 132 residents. Salem Village is owned by Healthcare Management Partners and its main owner is Mark Suissa, the Joliet radio station noted.
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In December, Joliet Patch broke the news that Paschall would not be facing first-degree murders, after all. Instead, he is facing aggravated battery charges and court documents indicate the pathologist used by Will County Coroner Laurie Summers, Dr. Heyshong Marshall, ruled Pappas’ death as undetermined, pending toxicology results.
The court records indicated that Pappas experienced seizure-like symptoms after Paschall, age 71, punched him in the head four or five times.
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“The blows partially knocked the victim to the floor. Witnesses told police the defendant grabbed a hold of the victim’s walker and began striking the victim about the body and head while yelling die mother f*****,” the grand jury indictment from December reads.
Due to the coroner’s ruling, Joliet police have told Patch that they no longer are listing the Salem Village case as a solved homicide. Instead of making arrests in nine of 11 homicides for 2023, Joliet police now list the city as having 10 homicides in 2023, with arrest in eight of the deaths.
Salem Village becomes the second long-time Joliet nursing home to go out of business in the past year. A year ago, Our Lady of Angels closed its doors forever near Ingalls Avenue. That property is now lined with a chain-link fence and the building is slated for upcoming demolition.
Related Joliet Patch coverage:
No More Murder Charges In Laundry Room Killing In Joliet
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