Police stories // Rick DeFelice

Rick DeFelice knew he was breaking a rule when he knocked on thedoor of Thomas Lee Vanda's boarding room one night 20 years ago.

But for the young Oak Park police officer, it was a question ofwhether to follow a "senseless" department policy or save a life.

In the end, he was unable to do either.It was spring, 1977, when DeFelice, now a 20-year veteran of theChicago Police Department, learned that Vanda was working as ajanitor in an apartment building occupied mostly by young women.Vanda, a longtime mental patient, had been found innocent byreason of insanity in the stabbing murder of a 15-year-old Burbankgirl less than two years earlier. He had spent less than a year in astate mental institution before psychiatrists said he was cured andfreed him."I couldn't believe the state would line him up with a job in abuilding where he had the keys to women's apartments," said DeFelice,45.DeFelice said he and other officers learned of Vanda's past whenanother police department called and warned them. But DeFelice saidhe was ordered not to say anything about it to "protect that animal'srights."DeFelice disobeyed. Not only did he tell the owner of thebuilding to fire Vanda, which she did, the officer also paid Vanda apersonal visit."I went up and knocked on his door," DeFelice said. "His roomwas disgusting. He had pornography, disgusting porn, taped all overhis walls. I just looked at him and suggested that he leave town. Itold him I'd be watching him." DeFelice also made it a practice totroll his squad car behind Vanda if he ever saw him walking in thenear west suburb.Vanda complained to DeFelice's supervisors, and "I got chewedout. They criticized me. I was ordered not to talk to anyone."It wasn't long after that DeFelice was awakened by a telephonecall informing him that Vanda had killed again."I just started screaming, `I told you so. I told you so.' "Vanda was arrested for the murder of Marguerite Bowers, 25, ofOak Park, whom he met through a Bible study class. Vanda was caughtin her apartment building with a bloody knife in his hand. He againpleaded innocent by reason of insanity, but a jury convictted him ofmurder. During his trial, Vanda's theory on "how to beat murder rapby insanity" was read in court. The slaying drew cries of outragethroughout the country and prompted a change in the Illinois lawregarding the criminally insane.Though DeFelice is thankful for the changes in the law, he ishaunted by the fact he was kept from protecting Bowers. "We couldhave saved that girl," he said. "Back then, the department was tooconcerned with protecting his rights."