47 years in prison for a man accused of setting fire to and killing “Walking Man” Joseph Kromelis

A man has been sentenced to 47 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing Joseph Kromelis – known as the “Walking Man” of downtown Chicago – by setting him on fire while he slept on a sidewalk.

Joseph Guardia, 30, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder as part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid a trial that was scheduled to begin Thursday, according to court records.

The murder shocked the city because of its brutality toward the 75-year-old Kromelis, who was easily recognized by Loop visitors by his strikingly dapper appearance. Kromelis was often nicknamed “Walking Man” or “Walking Dude” because of his purposeful striding through the city streets.

“Nothing linear, almost like a mothfly. Up that street, across it, diagonally and back and forth,” recalls David Jones, who tried to make a documentary about Kromelis. “There didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to us. But for him, I think it made perfect sense.”

When Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper spoke to him in 1998, Kromelis responded briefly when asked how much he walked around.

“Yeah, I’m doing just fine. I like to go for walks. But I also work, you know. I work in a loop. In fact, I have to get to work right now,” he said before jogging off.

Kromelis was recognizable by his mane of dark hair, which turned gray in his later years, and his distinctive mustache. He had a fashion sense for suit pants and jackets, which he often wore over a white undershirt.

A surveillance camera recorded Guardia approaching Kromelis and standing over him as he slept in a blanket in the early morning of May 25, 2022, in the 400 block of North Lower Wabash Avenue.

Guardia poured a flammable liquid onto the ceiling and then set it on fire.

Kromelis burned for three minutes before two Trump Tower security guards came to his aid until emergency responders arrived.

He died of his injuries months later in a rehabilitation facility after being released from Stroger Hospital. His death was ruled a homicide.

Guardia was arrested in his hometown of Melrose Park two days after the attack and gave no explanation about his motive other than to say he was “an angry person.” He denied knowing anyone was in the ceiling and told investigators he wanted to burn trash, prosecutors said at his first hearing.

According to court records, Guardia had a long history of run-ins with the law, including an ongoing burglary case. Prosecutors said he threw a liquid substance at a CTA employee earlier the same month he attacked Kromelis.

He has been in the Cook County Jail since his first court appearance and will receive credit for the 881 days already served in custody, but would not be eligible for release until 2071.

Guardia has been diagnosed with a mental illness for which he has been receiving treatment since he was 15, according to a statement from the public defender's office that represented him in the case.

A spokeswoman for the office said they tried to have Guardia plead guilty but was mentally ill but were unable to reach that agreement with prosecutors. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The murder resonated with many who saw it over the years and wondered about his life story. It also raised awareness of the vulnerability to attacks that homeless people face when living on the streets.

In 2016, in a separate incident, Kromelis was attacked when someone hit him with a baseball bat in the 400 block of East Lower Wacker Drive.

This week's plea comes nearly two months after a person was accused of fatally shooting four people sleeping on a CTA Blue Line train in September as it approached a train station in western suburban Forest Park.

In an interview with Sun-Times reporter David Struett, Viki Mammina said she knew Kromelis as “Mojo” when they were friends in the 1970s.

She remembered her former friend as shy but always well-dressed. “Joe was human,” she said. “He was really a nice guy.”