A doctor has opined that a suspect was insane when he allegedly tried to murder a woman in a brutal and unprovoked attack that left her critically injured and also a good Samaritan injured at a McHenry park.
The McHenry Police Department responded around 3:26 p.m. on May 5, 2024, to Petersen Park, 4300 Petersen Park Road in McHenry, for a report of a disturbance.
An investigation determined Raymond P. Link, 49, of West Allis, Wisconsin, had been with his unleashed dog in the park.
Police officials said Link suddenly physically attacked a 59-year-old woman, who also had been walking her dog in the park.
“The attack was unprovoked and there did not appear to be any connection between Link and the victim,” police officials said.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Link stomped, kicked and struck the woman in the head and neck.
The complaint said he placed both knees on her head and neck with his full body weight and attempted to strangle the victim with his “forearm and/or hands.”
The complaint said Link attempted to strangle the woman while she “laid unconscious and unresponsive on the ground.”
The attack resulted in avulsions to the victim’s left ear, a rupture to the globe of her left eye, multiple significant lacerations and an extensive open fracture of her facial bones. She also suffered multiple dog bites.
A 37-year-old man, who did not know Link nor the victim, intervened and was also attacked by Link, police officials said.
The complaint said Link punched the man in the chest and arms more than 12 times and ordered his dog to attack.
The man suffered a broken clavicle, bruising, redness and a dog bite.
The female victim was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry by ambulance and then flown by a LifeNet medical helicopter to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
The male victim was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.
Link’s dog, who fled the area, was later located and transferred to the care of McHenry County Animal Control.
Officers arrested Link at the scene and transported him to the McHenry County Jail.
He was charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery by strangulation and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Link pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to the community, and McHenry County Judge Michael Chmiel granted the petition.
The judge called the attack a “horrific incident” and said he “cannot fathom a set of pretrial conditions that could be put in place to mitigate the threat of harm defendant poses to the community.”
Chmiel also found Link in contempt of court for his conduct in the courtroom during the hearing.
Prosecutors said Link told police he attacked the female victim because he was “an angel of death,” ABC7 reported. Prosecutors said the woman would have died if the good Samaritan had not intervened.
Court documents said the defense for Link has raised the possibility of an affirmative defense of insanity.
Defense counsel provided an expert opinion asserting that Link was insane at the time of the offense.
McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Ashley Romito filed a motion seeking to allow prosecutors to retain their own forensic psychiatrist to conduct an examination in the McHenry County Jail on Link.
The evaluation will allow the state’s attorney’s office to potentially rebut the insanity defense.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis granted the request for an in-person interview by the prosecution’s forensic psychiatrist.
Link waived his right to a jury trial during a hearing on Thursday and a status hearing for the fitness evaluation and trial is set for November 20.