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Bail denied fugitive in teen assault case

By Art Barnum
Tribune staff reporter
Published May 28, 2005, 11:40 AM CDT

A Cook County judge on Saturday denied bond to Adrian Missbrenner, a Burr Ridge man who returned Friday from hiding in Europe to face charges that he sexually assaulted a 16-year old Naperville girl at a drinking party in his home.

Missbrenner, 20, appeared before Judge Denise Filan, presiding in bond court in the Bridgeview branch of Cook County Circuit Court. Filan said state statutes preclude a defendant charged with violating a previous bail bond from having any new bond set.

"Adrian knew when he returned that he would have to face his accuser from behind jail walls," said Patrick Campanelli, his attorney.

"He's happy he's home, but not pleased to be in the confines of a jail," Campanelli added. "Fear caused him to run and now he understands that wasn't the right decision. He continued to maintain his innocence."

Missbrenner will remain in the Cook County Jail until his trial.

On the run in Mexico and Europe for eight months, Missbrenner returned to Cook County in handcuffs Friday after fleeing from his pending criminal trial last September. He was flown back to the United States after giving himself up earlier in the week to FBI agents at the U.S. consulate in Belgrade, Serbia.

Missbrenner and three other west suburban men were charged in December 2002 with participating in the sexual assault of a 16-year-old Naperville girl. They also are charged with videotaping the alleged assault.

After the girl reported the incident, police recovered a videotape.

Sonny Smith of Brookfield pleaded guilty to child pornography for operating the camera and is serving a 5-month sentence in an Illinois Department of Corrections boot camp.

A Cook County jury acquitted Christopher Robbins of Brookfield of sexual assault charges in March. He contended that the videotaped sexual acts were consensual.

The fourth defendant, Burim Bezeri of Lyons, fled the country about the same time at Missbrenner and is believed to have been in contact with him for much of the last eight months.

Patrick Campanelli, Missbrenner's attorney, said negotiations with law enforcement agencies to have his client turn himself in began earlier this year, before the Robbins trial.

Cook County Cmdr. John McQuinn said that Missbrenner "has been cooperative, but he has invoked his right to speak to his attorney first.

"We still don't know where Bezeri is, but that investigation continues," McQuinn said.

Campanelli said later at a news conference at his Palos Hills office that he has no information about Bezeri's whereabouts or "anyone that could have aided Adrian." Missbrenner's parents, Dumir and Dobrila, attended the news conference but didn't comment.

Police said they believe both men fled to Mexico and then went to Eastern Europe, where they have family ties.

James Cutrone, Bezeri's attorney, could not be reached for comment. McQuinn said he knew of no negotiations for Bezeri's return.

Missbrenner's previous $10,000 cash bail, put up by his parents, was revoked last year by Cook County Judge Robert Smierciak.

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abarnum@tribune.com