A criminal case that started with a dispute over pizza and a bar tab that led to a fatal shooting nearly three years ago in unincorporated Wheaton ended in a DuPage County courtroom on Friday with a first-degree murder conviction.
A jury found Michael Freund guilty of first-degree murder in a case that was perplexing from the start.
Three men drinking beer and eating pizza in a bar after working a night shift.
A dispute with another patron they didn’t know, Dexter Perkins, after pizza was shared.
It happened at about 8:30 on the morning of December 23, 2023.
At Rosie O’Reilly’s on Gary Avenue. Formerly known as the Gables.
A bar situated for decades on an island of unincorporated land in what used to be a dry town.
Prosecutors say Perkins and one of the others got into a dispute.
They took it outside. All four were there.
Cellphone video showed Perkins and the other man in a bear hug, dancing on a deck outside the front door.
And it showed Fruend shooting a gun twice in the air and then several other times at Perkins.
Including a shot to his face.
"Senseless," said state’s attorney Robert Berlin.
DuPage County State's Attorney press release:
Jury Finds Aurora Man Guilty of First Degree Murder in 2023 Murder at Bar in Unincorporated Wheaton
DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin announced today that following a three-day-long trial in in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh, a jury has found a former Aurora man guilty of shooting Dexter Perkins to death just days before Christmas, 2023.
The jury returned their guilty verdict against Michael Freund, 49 (d.o.b. 11/21/1974) formerly of the 3200 block of Bromley, after less than one hour of deliberations.
The jury found Freund guilty of First Degree Murder.
On December 23, 2023, Freund appeared in First Appearance Court where Judge Joshua Dieden granted the State’s Motion to deny him pre-trial release.
On December 22, 2023, at approximately 8:40 a.m., DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call of shots fired at Rosie O’Reilly’s, 0N131 Gary Avenue, Wheaton.
Upon their arrival, officers found the victim, Dexter Perkins, deceased at the scene.
Following an investigation into the shooting, authorities learned that Freund and two of his coworkers arrived at Rosie O’Reilly’s at approximately 7:20 a.m. after finishing their shift at work.
Perkins, who did not know Freund or his coworkers prior to their arrival, was already at the establishment when the men arrived.
The investigation found that the men shared a pizza and that when a second pizza arrived, Perkins gave Freund and one of his coworkers a slice and then took the rest of the pizza for himself which led to a dispute between the men over the pizza and the bar tab.
At some point in time, Freund exited the bar and retrieved a 9 mm Glock handgun from his truck and returned to the bar.
The men eventually went outside to the front porch and after a brief scuffle between Perkins and one of the other men, Freund pulled out his handgun from his jacket pocket and firing two shots into the air.
After Freund fired his gun, Perkins approached the other man at which time Freund, who was standing on the other side of a wooden railing, fired at him, striking him eight times in the torso and once in the face.
After shooting Perkins, Freund returned his gun to the center console of his truck, where it was ultimately found by law enforcement. Freund was taken into custody from Rosie O’Reilly’s without incident.
“Nearly three years ago, just days before Christmas, Dexter Perkins’ life came to an abrupt, violent end when Michael Freund shot him nine times after a dispute over pizza and a bar tab,” Berlin said.
“The senseless killing of an unarmed, innocent man has not only left two young girls fatherless but has also left a hole in the hearts of Dexter’s family and friends that will remain with them throughout their lives.
While today’s guilty verdict cannot bring Dexter back to those who loved him, perhaps it will allow for some measure of solace knowing that the man responsible for Dexter’s murder will be held accountable.
I thank the jury in this tragic case for their service as well as Judge Walsh O’Hallaren for ensuring a fair trial for both sides.
This was an incredibly emotional case, and I thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Lee Roupas, Kathleen Rowe, Eric Vincent and Anthony Raimondi for their outstanding work in proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting death of Dexter Perkins was not a case of self-defense, it was a murder.”
Freund’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 9, 2026, for return of the Pre-sentence Report and post-trial motions.
