Lockport murder trial: Anthony Maggio found guilty of murdering ex-girlfriend, daughter
LOCKPORT, Ill. - After two days of jury deliberations, a guilty verdict was announced in the slayings of a Lockport mother and her 14-month-old daughter.
The jury found Anthony Maggio guilty of two counts of first-degree murder on Friday.
As the verdict was read in court, the victim's family could be heard breathing a sigh of relief and making quiet cries.
Ashtin Eaton, 32, and her daughter, Hazel Bryant, were both killed in their Lockport apartment back in 2020.
Maggio, the little girl’s father and a former romantic acquaintance of Eaton, will soon be sentenced for their murders.
"He's going to suffer for a while and I'm going to suffer 'til I die because my baby will never be here with me again. But his, his dad can go visit him," said Eaton’s mother Shirely Onderisin.
His family and defense team were quiet as the verdict was read and they refused to comment after court.
This murder trial lasted nearly two weeks and the jury took about 14 hours to deliberate.
The victim's family spoke outside the courthouse Friday afternoon.
"My daughter is finally going to have justice, along with my granddaughter. Finally, after four years. So, of course, I'm happy. I'm not happy because they're gone, but finally, finally, justice is served," said Onderisin. "It's never going to be over for me. I lost my first daughter in a car accident, and now I don't have my second daughter and my granddaughter. So it's never over. But justice was served."
The next court date, which will include any post-trial motions or possible sentencing, will be Dec. 19.
The Lockport police chief said in a statement that his department's thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and thanked his investigations team.
"First and foremost, I want to say our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of both Ashtin and baby Hazel. I know this entire process has been extremely painful for them and this was a terrible tragedy that should never have occurred.
I want to thank my investigations team for their hard work and dedication on this case, they did a magnificent job. Without their passion for this profession, their professionalism in the way they handled this case and commitment to ensuring justice was brought on the person responsible, this case could not have been solved.
I want to thank the Illinois State Police and the Will County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance, along with the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office for their expertise and successful prosecution of this case.
I commend the jury for finding Maggio guilty of the murder of both Ashtin and baby Hazel. These are very difficult cases in that they are extremely tragic for everyone involved.
Sincerely,
Richard Harang
Chief of Police"