After being found unfit to stand trial, the Kankakee man charged in a fatal attack in Oswego last October was recently transferred from the Kendall County Jail to a mental health treatment facility in Elgin.
Darryl Lee Jr., 20, of Kankakee, is charged with killing a man using a hammer and knife and injuring another person on Oct. 22, 2025, at the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Oswego. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Kendall County Judge Jody Gleason on Jan. 6 made the decision Lee was not mentally fit for trial after reading a doctor’s evaluation. Lee had been on a waiting list for mental health treatment.
He was released from the Kendall County Jail on April 15 and was taken to a inpatient psychiatric hospital in Elgin operated by the Illinois Department of Human Resources.
“The doctor who did the evaluation believes he can be restored to fitness within a year, which is the standard in the state of Illinois for fitness,” Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis has said. “And once he is found to be fit, he’ll be returned here back in Kendall County, and the proceedings will continue on.”
Lee faces 11 felony counts, including first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death and armed robbery.
The victim in the fatal attack was identified as Tracey J. Land, 52, of Bridgeview.
Land was making a delivery to the restaurant at 2740 U.S. Route 34 when, about 3:10 a.m., Lee allegedly broke into the restaurant and attacked him with a hammer and a knife, Oswego police said.
About 5 a.m., Oswego police were called to the restaurant for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers found the alleged offender, later identified by police as Lee, being restrained by two contracted maintenance workers.
Officers immediately took Lee into custody and began providing medical aid to one of the workers who had been injured, police said.
The injured 20-year-old man was taken to an area hospital. Based on statements allegedly made by Lee, officers conducted a protective sweep of the restaurant and discovered Land’s body inside. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Weis said he believes that Lee understands the charges against him but that he is not able to assist in his own defense.
“That’s usually where the issue comes up when you have a mental illness without treatment or medications,” he said. “So they’ll give him some treatment as well as medications, which will allow him then to assist his attorneys in his own defense.”
Police said that after allegedly killing Land, Lee remained in the restaurant and tried to clean up the crime scene. The maintenance workers were outside the restaurant, unaware that Lee was inside and had allegedly killed Land, police said.
Lee exited the restaurant about 4:55 a.m. and allegedly attacked the 20-year-old man from behind by stabbing him with a knife, police said. Despite his injuries, the man was able to subdue his attacker with the assistance of his mother, who also was on-site working with him, police said.
Oswego village officials in November honored the mother and son for their efforts at the scene.
At the Nov. 4 Oswego Village Board meeting, Village President Ryan Kauffman read a proclamation commending the efforts of Sergio Uribe Jr. and Ana Uribe.