Joliet man sentenced to 100 years for murder at Harrah's Casino hotel

JOLIET, Ill. - A 29-year-old man was sentenced to 100 years in prison Monday for the brutal 2019 murder of an elderly Wisconsin man in the hotel of Harrah's Casino in Joliet.

Following an eight-day trial in May, a jury found Robert A. Watson, of Joliet, guilty on all four counts of first degree murder in the stabbing death of 76-year-old Emanual Burgarino on March 24, 2019. The jury also found Watson to be mentally ill, but it does not affect his ultimate prison sentence.

"Robert Watson is evil incarnate. He savagely stabbed Emanual Burgarino in a ruthless, barbaric attack and left the elderly gentleman to suffer and die in a hotel hallway. His premeditation and his attempts to hide the bloody evidence shows that he knew exactly what he was doing and the consequences of his actions," Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said. "He received a maximum sentence of 100 years in prison but will be punished for all eternity for this heinous murder."

During the trial, witness Glenn Hill testified that Watson had followed him into the elevator before exiting with him on the fifth floor of the hotel. Hill had an uncomfortable feeling about Watson, and rode back down when Watson departed the elevator, according to prosecutors.

He then rode back up to the fifth floor and went to his room when he didn't see Watson.

After hearing a commotion a few minutes later, Hill went to investigate and saw Watson attacking Burgarino in the fifth-floor hallway.

Watson then ran down the hallway and into a stairwell before exiting through a security door on the first floor, which tripped a casino alarm.

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Burgarino, who lived in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, had been stabbed 26 times in his chest and neck as he was leaving his room, and evidence showed that he had been pepper-sprayed before the attack, Glasgow said.

He was pronounced dead at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

Surveillance images of Robert A. Watson at the Harahs Joliet Hotel and Casino, and the mugshot at his time of arrest. | Joliet police

Responding officers found a trail of blood in the stairwell, and the following day, a bloody knife, articles of Watson's clothing, and bloody latex gloves were discovered in a bush near the Joliet Housing Authority in downtown Joliet.

Officers also discovered Watson's backpack at a condemned home at 350 North Ottawa Street, where he had been staying.

Watson was arrested later that day on the second floor of the Joliet Public Library’s Ottawa Street Branch.

Burgarino's blood was found on the Air Jordan gym shoes Watson was wearing at the time of his arrest, as well as on the knife, the striped pants and sweatshirt he had been wearing, and a pair of latex gloves that surveillance video captured him taking from a cart inside a hotel stairwell before the murder.

Police also located pepper spray on Watson at the time of his arrest, Glasgow said.

Watson will serve 100 percent of his sentence, and has received 1,590 days credit for time already served.