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The two west suburban men charged with the murder of three members of a Darien family last week were ordered held without bond in DuPage County Bond Court today.

Jacob Nodarse, 23, of Countryside and Johnny Borizov, 28, of Willow Springs, were denied bond today by DuPage County Circuit Judge Terence M. Sheen.

Borizov, who prosecutors say badgered Nodarse into committing the crime, is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Nodarse, the alleged gunman, is charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The two are alleged to have conspired to kill all the members of the Kramer family of Darien. Three members of the family were shot and killed: Jeffrey Kramer, 50, his wife Lori, 48, and his son Michael, 20. Another target, Angela Kramer, escaped death by hiding in a closet. Her phone call brought police to the scene early Tuesday morning.

In court today, DuPage County Assistant State's Atty. Jeffrey Muntz said the scheme between Nodarse and Borizov was hatched at a Feb. 25 meeting. That same day, Nodarse bought a gun which was allegedly used in the shootings, officials said.

While there was no evidence that Borizov paid Nodarse to commit the killings, Nodarse told police he would do anything for Borizov, Muntz said in court. Borizov was involved in a custody battle with Jeffrey Kramer's daughter Angela, 25 and she was the primary target, said Muntz.

Muntz also said that before leaving the home, Nodarse went around the home and shot Angela Kramer's parents and brother in the head an additional time to make sure they were dead. After the shootings he fled for Florida, Muntz said.

After Nodarse was caught in Florida and was returned to the Darien police station this week, Borizov made incriminating statements to Nodarse which were recorded, Muntz said.

Angela Kramer had been locked in a custody battle with Borizov over their 13-month-old son Nicholas.

There's no evidence that Borizov paid Nodarse or gave him anything of value in exchange for the killings, authorities said. Instead, sources say, Borizov badgered his uncle's tenant until Nodarse agreed to help him.

When the two plotted the murders they knew that Borizov would need an alibi, said DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett said on Saturday. So early Tuesday morning when the killings happened, Borizov headed to the Empress Casino in Joliet and made sure security cameras and credit card receipts would bolster his alibi, prosecutors said. He also brought a relative so someone else could vouch for his whereabouts, authorities said.

While Borizov gambled, around 3 a.m. Tuesday, Nodarse used a hammer to smash a window and break into the Kramer family's home on Kilkenny Drive in Darien, Birkett said. Authorities say he shot Jeffrey Kramer and his son Michael on the first floor, while Lori Kramer was found dead on stairs leading to the second floor.

Nodarse then searched the house for Angela Kramer, 25, but he could not find his primary target, Birkett said. Her decision to hide in a closet and call police for help saved her life, authorities said.

Birkett said Nodarse fled the house after the shootings and headed to Florida, stopping briefly in Terre Haute, Ind., to dispose of the murder weapon and clothing that he wore during the shootings. The evidence, including a .40-caliber Glock handgun, was recovered last week behind an International House of Pancakes restaurant on U.S. Highway 41 and Interstate Highway 70.

Nodarse, who graduated from Westmont High School in 2005, was apprehended Wednesday afternoon in the driveway of his parents' house near Fort Myers, Fla. He was placed on a suicide watch in the jail before waiving extradition back to Illinois.

Neighbors said Borizov attended community college after graduating from Lyons Township High School about a decade ago. The son of a homebuilder, he grew up in a close-knit family in Willow Springs.

Court records show Angela Kramer filed for child support from Borizov on Jan. 15, seeking 20 percent of his income, and health insurance and a $100,000 life insurance policy for their son.

"Whether it was for money, a child or whatever reason, the conduct is abhorrent," Birkett said. "It's ruthless."

Jeffrey Kramer's sister said the family would have no comment Saturday. Visitation for the three victims is scheduled for Sunday at a Downers Grove funeral home.

-- Art Barnum and staff

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