Three of the four suspects in last October’s Homecoming assault have pleaded guilty.

Martell D. Hunter, 20, of Chicago and his brother Danell Hunter, 19, of Chicago, both pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and one count of robbery prior to their scheduled Nov. 6 hearing, said Joe Cullen of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office. Martell’s sentence hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17 and Danell’s for Jan. 23, Cullen said.

Gregory Daniels, 21, of Chicago, pleaded guilty at an earlier date to aggravated battery, Cullen said.

The fourth suspect, Christopher Jones, 25, of Chicago, still has a warrant out for his arrest, Cullen said.

The charges are a result of the Oct. 21, 2006, assault of then 18-year-old NIU freshman Justin M. Pisellini outside Grant North.

Martell Hunter, the only one of the four who was an NIU student, was issued a banning letter from the university following the incident, barring him from campus.

WHAT HAPPENED:

In the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006, then-freshman undeclared business major Justin Pisellini was severely beaten by four assailants on the sidewalk outside Grant Towers North.

Homecoming regulations in place at the time required Pisellini, along with fellow student Joseph M. Gnutek and another student, to leave the residence hall to retrieve the pizza they had purchased earlier. On their way back to the residence hall, a car carrying four individuals pulled up beside them. The individuals then exited the vehicle and approached Pisellini and company, asking them for their pizza. When Pisellini refused, he and his peers were attacked, with Pisellini ultimately being admitted to Kishwaukee Community Hospital with severe injuries. He was released later that day.

The four suspects were found to be Martell D. Hunter, then 19, of Chicago and an NIU student; Danell Hunter, then 18, of Chicago; Christopher Jones, then 24, of Chicago; and Gregory Daniels, then 20, of Chicago. Warrants were issued for Martell Hunter, Jones and Daniels on Oct. 25, 2006 and Danell Hunter on Oct. 27, 2006.

Source: Northern Star archives