Defendant Takes Stand, Prosecution and Defense Rest Cases in Willenborg Jury Trial

The defendant took the stand and both the state and prosecution rested their cases on the third day of the jury trial of the People vs. Robert V. Willenborg. After a one day midweek break due to the holiday the trial resumed Thursday morning as State’s Attorney Brenda Mathis continued the state’s presentation of evidence and witnesses. After a brief recall of Victim 2 to the stand to verify her birthdate and age at time of employment at Willenborg Farms, the state called Victim 3 to the stand who was not a part of the charges brought against the defendant that are the basis for the trial. Victim 3 testified that she worked at Willenborg Farms from 2017 to 2020 and during that time that the defendant, Robert Willenborg made advances towards her, trying to touch her chest and rear end and had come up behind her in the milk parlor, reaching around and grabbing her chest. Victim 3 also testified that when riding in a truck, the defendant had reached over and briefly touched her chest, legs and in between her legs. At one point during her employment, Victim 3 stated that she was in need of extra money in the amount of $400 for needed car repairs and asked the defendant for extra work shifts and was told that instead, the defendant would just give her the money and that she could work it off and Victim 3 says the defendant then began asking for sexual favors which she did not do and instead tried to distance herself from the defendant while working. When asked why she ended her employment at the farm, Victim 3 states that she did not quit her job until well after the incidents she talked about and she stated that she did not want to have to tell her friends and family her reason for quitting, being the incidents she said happened with the defendant and also that she did like the work and that it was good experience to help her with her future job pursuit. Victim 3 also testified that she did not know the other victims who had testified prior to the trial and that she did not want to initially come forward but was taking part in the trial due to a subpoena and that she did want to help the other girls by testifying about her experiences. During cross examination by defense attorney Monroe McWard, Victim 3 testified that she did at first deny anything happening to her parents and did not speak about her experiences with anyone until she was interviewed by the Illinois State Police because she didn’t think people would believe her. After brief re-direct from Mathis and brief re-cross from McWard, Mathis announced that the state was resting its case. The trial then turned to the Defense’s presentation of evidence and witnesses by calling Shelly White to the stand who testified about her time she had known the defendant and that thought to him to be chaste, moral and decent and testified that the defendant had been good with her kids. A juvenile former worker of the farm who testified on Tuesday was recalled briefly and asked about being taken home by the defendant with Victim 1 also along for the trip. The defense then called Victim 1’s mother to the stand who testified that her daughter first denied to her anything happening with the defendant but after an interview was conducted by law enforcement with the victim at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Effingham, the mother was contacted by the DCFS investigator advising her that her daughter was a victim and that following that, she filed for an order of protection. Defense attorney McWard also questioned the mother as to a civil lawsuit that she filed on her daughter’s behalf months after the allegations came about and asked if she had been spending money in anticipation of the lawsuit to which she replied “no.” The mother was also question about her daughter having many occasions to come forward to her and tell of the incidents that she alleged the defendant of committing. Following the testimony of Victim 1’s mother, the court would go to lunch break before the defense continued calling its witnesses. ISP Special Agent Theodore Tebbe was very briefly recalled before the defense would call its final witness, the defendant Robert Willenborg, to the stand. After it was earlier testified to that Willenborg had asked Victim 1 to ride along when the defendant drove the male juvenile farm worker home due to being on medication, Willenborg to describe his injury, explaining he had popped two vertebrae in his neck while working and had been prescribed medication in the form of muscle relaxers that made him drowsy so he had asked for the ride along to keep him awake. Willenborg testified that nothing had ever happened in the truck on the ride home when he was along with Victim 1. During cross examination by the state, Willenborg testified that there were no inappropriate conversations with Victim 1 and that there were no inappropriate incidents on the farm. When asked about $25 he paid to Victim 2 for putting her breast in an udder cleaner, Willenborg said he was not present for the incident and that paid the money because Victim 2 would not go back to work after he previously told her not to put her breast in the machine and continued by saying he told her to go check to the bathroom to check herself for marks on her chest and if there were any, she should call her mom and go to the hospital. When asked why he didn’t contact the mother, he replied that he did not have her number. As questioning turned to the allegations from Victim 1, Willenborg stated she never performed oral sex on him and that he never performed oral sex on her and that he never inserted his fingers inside of her. He testified that in September of 2022, Victim 1 asked him for sex but he never did anything with her. When asked if he had ever had issues with Victims 1 and 2 when they worked at the farm, Willenborg said he never did until the udder cleaner incident. He also stated he never made comments to other about the size of their chests. When asked about an interview he did with the State Police, Willenborg said he was never given a hand job by Victim 1 and was questioned by the state that if nothing ever happened, why did he make the statement that there was never anything to clean up. In regards to Victim 3, Willenborg testified that he never asked for sex in exchange for the $400 he gave her, never touched her or made advances and said he was never in a truck alone with her and denied that she ever asked for extra shifts before paying her the $400. As questioning of the defendant came to a close, Willenborg again testified that nothing had ever happened with any of the three victims who had testified during the trial. With his witnesses complete, defense attorney McWard announced that the defense was also resting its case. Following a brief state rebuttal witness, court was adjourned with the judge explaining that closing statements would be held on Friday morning after which the case will be turned over to the jury for deliberations.