D2026TB-01: What We Know So Far
Public Access Notice
Due to the ongoing legal proceedings and significant public interest surrounding this case, Fighting4Freeport has elected to make all installments of The Traveontaye Berry Investigation available to the public free of charge.
Our goal is to ensure that the facts, court records, and information reviewed during this investigation are accessible to anyone interested in understanding the case and the questions surrounding it.
June 04, 2026 | Freeport, IL
For more than a decade, the case of Traveontaye Berry has remained one of the most significant and controversial criminal cases in Stephenson County.
On October 16, 2013, 30-year-old Carl Green Jr. was shot in Freeport. Green later died from his injuries on October 17, 2013, at Freeport Memorial Hospital.
At the time of the shooting, Traveontaye Berry was 16 years old.
Following the shooting, Berry was arrested and ultimately charged as an adult in Stephenson County case number 2013-CF-238.
According to court records, Berry was charged with six counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm arising from the death of Carl Green Jr.
The case proceeded through the Stephenson County court system for nearly two years before reaching a jury trial.
On February 10, 2015, a Stephenson County jury found Berry guilty.
On April 2, 2015, Circuit Judge Michael P. Bald sentenced Berry to 52 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Berry entered the Illinois Department of Corrections on August 7, 2015.
Today, he remains incarcerated at Lawrence Correctional Center.
According to Illinois Department of Corrections records, Berry's projected parole date is October 16, 2065. His projected discharge date is October 16, 2068.
The Known Participants
Victim - Carl Green Jr.
Born: September 6, 1983
Died: October 17, 2013
Age: 30
Employed by Snak King in Freeport
Defendant - Traveontaye Berry
Born: December 8, 1996
Age at time of shooting: 16
Tried as an adult
Trial Judge - Michael P. Bald
Lead Prosecutor - John Vogt (Stephenson County State's Attorney)
Defense Counsel - Travis Lutz (Stephenson County Public Defender)
Forensic Witness Identified in Trial Reporting - Edward Rottman (Illinois State Police Crime Laboratory)
The Trial
According to trial reporting from the Journal-Standard, testimony presented during the trial included witness testimony, forensic evidence, firearm analysis, fingerprint examination, DNA analysis, and gunshot residue testing.
Trial reporting indicates that Illinois State Police forensic examiner Edward Rottman testified that Berry's fingerprints were not found on the firearm prosecutors alleged was used in the shooting.
Reporting also stated that DNA recovered from evidence was insufficient to include or exclude Berry as a contributor.
Additional reporting indicated that testing was inconclusive regarding whether Berry had fired the weapon.
Jurors ultimately returned guilty verdicts after deliberating for less than two hours.
Appeals and Post-Conviction Proceedings
Following his conviction and sentencing, Berry pursued appellate review through the Illinois court system.
The conviction and sentence were upheld on direct appeal.
Berry has continued pursuing post-conviction relief through the courts.
Court records show petitions, responses, hearings, amended filings, and related proceedings continuing through 2025 and 2026.
Most recently, court records indicate subpoenas have been issued for multiple witnesses connected to the case.
A post-conviction hearing is currently scheduled for June 17, 2026.
Why Fighting4Freeport Is Reviewing This Case
Recently, Fighting4Freeport was contacted by members of the Berry family and asked to review the case.
We were not asked to prove Traveontaye Berry's innocence.
We were not asked to defend his conviction.
Instead, we were asked to examine the public record and attempt to answer a single question:
Did Traveontaye Berry receive a fair trial resulting in a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt?
Over the coming days and weeks, Fighting4Freeport will review court records, appellate decisions, trial reporting, public filings, and other available documents.
As information is verified and placed into context, it will be shared with the public.
What We Know
Based on court records, Department of Corrections records, trial reporting, and publicly available documents:
Carl Green Jr. died from gunshot injuries sustained on October 16, 2013.
Traveontaye Berry was 16 years old at the time of the shooting.
Berry was charged as an adult.
A Stephenson County jury convicted Berry on February 10, 2015.
Judge Michael P. Bald sentenced Berry to 52 years in prison.
Berry remains incarcerated.
A post-conviction hearing is scheduled for June 17, 2026.
What We Are Still Working To Verify
Among the records Fighting4Freeport is still attempting to obtain, review, or verify are:
The complete timeline of October 16, 2013.
The exact time of the shooting.
The exact time of Carl Green Jr.'s death.
The exact time of Berry's arrest.
Dispatch and police activity records.
Witness statements and interviews.
Full trial transcripts.
Additional forensic reports.
Post-conviction filings and responses.
Records connected to the June 17, 2026 hearing.
This article is intended to establish the foundation of the case.
As additional records are obtained, reviewed, and verified, Fighting4Freeport will continue sharing its findings with the public.
The goal is not to advocate for a particular outcome.
The goal is to understand what happened, what can be proven, and whether justice was ultimately served beyond a reasonable doubt.