By: 25 News’ Angeles Ponpa and Jason Howell
PEKIN, Ill. (25 News) – Keith Brackett, 48, charged in the death and concealment of a 13-year-old Pekin boy, entered a not guilty plea Thursday.
Brackett appeared via video from the Tazewell County Jail for the court hearing.
Brackett’s defense attorney raised objections to information contained in the indictment, including details about gender, height and weight, and requested corrections.
The judge allowed gender to be removed from the indictment for now and noted he had never received such a request from a defendant before.
Robert Bee Jr. disappeared on Nov. 18, 2016. His mother, Lisa, reported him missing and said he was last seen the day before.
The boy’s remains were discovered in July 2017 behind a residence owned by Brackett’s aunt, according to police.
Investigators learned Bee was friends with Brackett despite their significant age difference. The boy would occasionally skip school and stay overnight at Brackett’s residence, according to police.
Authorities said searches conducted on Brackett’s phone included queries about DNA and being a murder suspect.
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