Palos Park, IL — A south suburban man thought he was going to pay for a night of sex with two young moms from Indiana, but the women had hatched a plan to bring along their friends and rob him, according to Cook County prosecutors.
The plot, however, went awry when the Palos-area homeowner caught sight of a young man with a knife and began shooting, prosecutors said Thursday in court as three women faced a judge for the first time since the July 5 home invasion and shooting.
Bail was set at $2 million each for three young mothers and a man charged in an unincorporated Palos Park home invasion. Another man was shot dead by the homeowner.
Sisters Brandy, 19, and Paige Marshall, 20, along with their 20-year-old friend, Sarah Risner, appeared before Cook County Associate Judge Peter Felice Thursday afternoon.
The three women, all mothers of babies, are facing charges of first-degree murder in the commission of a crime and home invasion.
A Cook County sheriff’s officer told Felice that one of the accused, Tyler Gulli, 23, is still at Advocate Christ Medical Center recovering from a broken femur after he was shot in the leg by the homeowner. He will appear before a judge later.
How the Plot Unfolded
The prosecutor said Brandy Marshall had contacted the homeowner on July 5 and arranged to have sex with him at his residence. Brandy reportedly visited the home twice before and engaged in oral sex with the man for money.
According to the allegations, Brandy Marshall and Risner had hatched a scheme with their friends, Paige Marshall, Gulli and Anthony Dalton, to rob the homeowner. Brandy and Risner would both go into the homeowner’s residence while the other three waited outside.
With the homeowner distracted, one of the women would open the door, and the two men, armed with knives, and Paige Marshall would enter the home, the prosecutor said.
Around 10:30 p.m. that night, the five pulled into the homeowner’s driveway 11900 block of West 118th Street in unincorporated Palos Park. Brandy Marshall and Risner went inside the home, where the homeowner led the two women into his kitchen.
A short time later, Risner told the homeowner she needed to go out to her car to get some condoms. When Risner could not unlock the front door, the homeowner came and unlocked the door for her.
How the Shooting Started
The prosecutor said that when the door opened, the homeowner saw one of the defendants crouched behind a planter. He slammed the door shut and pushed Risner out of the way.
The homeowner went back to the kitchen to retrieve his gun. When he returned to the living room, he found Risner with Paige Marshall, Gulli and Dalton wearing hoods and bandannas over their faces standing in the doorway.
Dalton, standing in front of the group and pointing a knife at the homeowner, was shot in the chest, prosecutors said. 
The homeowner fired another round hitting Gulli in the leg. The prosecutor said the four survivors left the house. Risner, Gulli and Brandy Marshall fled in the vehicle they arrived in, leaving Paige behind.
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Police later found Paige Marshall in the homeowner’s yard, and she allegedly gave officers information about her accomplices.
Dalton, laying across the front doorway, was pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutor said.
Brandy Marshall and Risner dropped a bleeding Gulli off at an urgent care center, where he was arrested. Marshall and Risner were stopped and arrested a short time later, the prosecutor said.
Gulli, Risner and Brandy Marshall allegedly gave videotaped statements to police about their botched scheme.
The homeowner had a valid FOID card and conceal carry permit, police said. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
3 Young Moms
Paige Marshall has a prior misdemeanor conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the prosecutor said.
The attorney for the Marshall sisters said Brandy is the mother of a 10-month old child and lives in Crown Point, Indiana, with her aunt. She is actively involved in the life of the child, who stays with his father. Brandy Marshall is unemployed but is actively job hunting at several Lake County, Indiana, restaurants.
Paige Marshall has a 1-year-old son who lives with her mother. She is living with friends in Hobart. She is unemployed from the food service industry.
“The homeowner didn’t have any injuries,” the attorney told the judge. “The homeowner shot the gun."
“They’re still culpable,” Felice said.
Risner’s attorney said his client lives in Crown Point, Indiana, and is paid to run errands for her father. The five used Risner’s father’s car to drive to Palos Park on July 5.
Her attorney said her father was in court; Risner’s mother was at home taking care of her 17-month-old and 6-month-old children.
Bail and Tears
Felice set bail at $2 million for each of the four surviving defendants. The four are not to have any contact with the homeowner and are to surrender any firearms or FOID cards.
If convicted, the four face prison terms of 20 to 60 years for first-degree murder, and six to 30 years for home invasion.
After the judge set bail, one of the young mothers could be heard wailing in the prisoners' holding area.
The four are set for a hearing Aug. 3 in Bridgeview.
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