The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

No leads on residential burglary of disabled student

Craig Wilderman is an artist without a canvas.

The 24-year-old SIUC senior from Evansville, Ind., has a form of muscular dystrophy that gives him limited range of motion with his hands.

Despite his physical setbacks, he continued to make computer-generated art with the help of an expensive computer system until he became a victim of residential burglary last month.

Wilderman had a laptop computer worth $3,000 and a desktop computer worth $900 stolen from his residence in the 800 Block of E. Park St. on Sept. 19. His roommate, Rick Fortmann, 35, of Mundelein, reported an X-Box stolen along with an assortment of games and his collection of air rifles.

Wilderman said two suspects entered through an open window, cutting the screen, while he was out of town and Fortmann was at a movie.

Because of the nature of the stolen items, Wilderman and Fortmann said they believe youths were responsible for the burglary.

"They were probably watching because there is a wooded area and there is a fence that you can crawl over," Wilderman said. "I'm pretty sure other people in the complex got attempted too. We're not the only one that got broken into."

Wilderman said he was contacted Tuesday by his landlord who said he caught a suspect "red-handed."

Schilling Property Management, which owns Wilderman's building, would not comment on the burglary or the suspect.

Carbondale Police Sgt. Don Priddy said there are no leads on the investigation at this time.

Wilderman, who is a senior in university studies and takes art classes, uses both computers for homework and to create digital art, which has received national attention.

"I worked at travels and exhibitions called the MDA [Muscular Dystrophy Association] art collection, and it travels around the United States," he said, "and my work has been in circulation since 1998."

His laptop, which had more than $2,000 worth of software, will not be replaced.

The program he used to create his art in class, Corel Painter 7, was worth $800 alone.

Erin Palmer, associate professor of drawing and painting, said Wilderman is an "exceptionally gifted" student but is now strongly disadvantaged by the theft of his laptop computer.

"He's doing a certain amount of painting, but when he's at home or by himself, the only work he can really do is on his laptop. Essentially, without the computer he cannot express himself visually," Palmer said. "I feel that he is an example of an individual whose creative expression is definitely facilitated by technology."

Without the laptop, Wilderman paints by hand with the help of a Disability Support Services employee. Palmer said this is more physically taxing because it requires a broader range of motion.

Sept. 19 marked the third attempted but the first successful burglary Wilderman and Fortmann have experienced in Carbondale.

The two formerly lived at another Schilling Property Management building when neighbors caught a juvenile attempting to enter the apartment and called the police. Fortmann said the juvenile had been caught numerous times attempting to rob the apartment building in a short period of time.

After moving to his new residence, two suspects attempted to break in before the successful burglary on Sept. 19.

"A few months prior, they tried to break into our place but he [Fortmann] was here and shut the window on them and they ran away," he said.

Wilderman said he doesn't believe the stolen equipment will be returned but is concerned about the safety of his artwork.

"I hope that none of the information would be used. I have some of my work on there too," Wilderman said. "If somebody knew how to use all that stuff, they could do some damage. The pawn value isn't really that high, so they wouldn't really get any money out of it at all, so it's pointless."

Palmer said the situation was particularly sad because of how much Wilderman used the laptop.

"I think if whoever did this knows his circumstance, it's the worst type of theft," Palmer said. "In fact, it's a primary tool through which he writes and draws and expresses himself other than speaking. It would be absolutely great if there is something that can be done to replace that."

 

 

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