A woman convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of a Bradley police sergeant still has no sentencing date more than six weeks after her verdict — and the judge says the case likely won't be wrapped up by December. Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic is dead. Her killer's consequences remain indefinitely pending.
Xandria Harris was convicted August 21 of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery to a peace officer for her role in the December 29, 2021 shooting that killed Rittmanic and severely wounded now-retired Officer Tyler Bailey. The officers had answered a routine call — dogs barking in a vehicle at a Comfort Inn parking lot. That's what cost Rittmanic her life.
Harris' boyfriend, Darius Sullivan, who pulled the trigger, was already convicted and is serving a life sentence plus 80 years. Harris' role earned her the same first-degree murder conviction. But since her August verdict, the machinery has ground to a halt.
At Thursday's Zoom hearing from the Jerome Combs Detention Center, Harris' attorney Cierra Norris asked Judge Kathy Bradshaw-Elliott to push consideration of post-trial motions to October 9. Norris filed motions for the judge to reconsider the verdict and for a new trial. She's awaiting trial transcripts. She doesn't even know if she'll remain Harris' attorney — the defense team needs to "determine next steps" with Harris' family. The judge acknowledged the case likely won't conclude before December.
So a cop killer sits in custody while her legal team gets its paperwork in order and her family sorts out representation. Meanwhile, the family of Sgt. Rittmanic waits.
This is the same justice system that had January 6 defendants charged, arraigned, and in some cases sentenced within weeks of walking through the Capitol doors. The FBI launched the largest investigation in its history for trespassers and paraders. But a first-degree murder conviction for a cop killer? Transcripts take time. Motions need consideration. Scheduling is complicated.
The two-tier reality is plain. If you're a political target of the federal establishment, the system finds a way to move with breathtaking speed. If you're a convicted cop killer, the system finds reasons to wait. Rittmanic answered a call about barking dogs and never went home. Harris was found guilty of her murder by a jury of her peers. Every day without a sentence is a day the system tells Rittmanic's family their loss isn't urgent enough to prioritize.
A sentencing date should have been set August 22. It still hasn't been. That's not procedure — that's indifference.
