Friday, September 4, 2009 9:39 PM CDT
Second Chicago man pleads guilty in 2007 Douglas Co. crime spree
By RON INGRAM, Staff Writer
DECATUR — The second suspect in a June 21, 2007, crime spree in Douglas County that included the shooting death of Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Tommy Martin pleaded guilty Friday in Macon County Circuit Court to home invasion and aggravated kidnapping.
Yusef Brown, 25, of Chicago entered his pleas before Associate Judge Timothy Steadman, who was assigned the case after it was moved here from DeWitt County where it initially had been moved on a change of venue.
The pleas were made under an agreement reached among Douglas County State’s Attorney Kevin P. Nolan and defense attorneys Jay Elmore and Jeffrey Page, both of Springfield.
Brown pleaded guilty to an amended count of home invasion and admitted to possessing a firearm in the commission of that crime, which automatically will add 15 years to any sentence he receives. That sentence will be subject to day-for-day good time.
He also pleaded guilty to an amended count of aggravated kidnapping. He must serve 85 percent of any sentence he receives for that crime.
Steadman said both charges are Class X felonies. He said with the 15-year add-on term, the home invasion count carries a range of 21 to 45 years in prison, while the aggravated kidnapping carries a prison term of six to 30 years.
The total prison term is capped at 60 years by agreement between the prosecution and defense.
Sentences for the two counts could be served either concurrently or consecutively, Steadman cautioned Brown. He said it will be within his discretion to look at Brown’s prior criminal history and conduct to determine if consecutive sentences are required to protect the public.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 6 in Courtroom 3B of the Macon County Courts Facility.
After the hearing, Nolan said that at the sentencing hearing he will seek the maximum 60-year prison term for Brown.
Douglas County Sheriff Charlie McGrew, who sat through Thursday’s hearing, said afterward that he and Nolan had discussed the plea agreement and found it provided a fair procedure to resolve the case.
“The judge will make the final decision,” McGrew said. “For the citizens of Douglas County, it’s an ending to a bad situation.”
The other man involved in the crime spree, William B. Thompson, 28, of Chicago pleaded guilty March 11 to first-degree murder in Martin’s death and was sentenced to natural life in prison by Steadman.
Martin was shot from a passing vehicle about 10:40 a.m. June 21, 2007, as he responded to a report of a home invasion and robbery at a rural residence near Camargo. Despite multiple surgeries, he died July 17, 2007.
Steadman quizzed Brown at great length Friday about his legal rights to make sure there would be no flaws in the court record should the case ever come before a higher court for review.
During that questioning, Brown said he had been diagnosed with a mental disorder and had taken medication for it. He said he could not remember what the disorder was and had ceased taking the medication three months ago.
Attorneys for both sides agreed with Steadman when he asserted, “There is no suggestion he is unfit or does not know what is going on here.”
Nolan said if the case had gone to trial a state trooper would have testified he stopped a silver or tan Ford Infiniti on June 21, 2007, on Interstate 57 for a traffic offense. Thompson was driving, and Brown was his passenger.
A police drug-sniffing dog was brought to the vehicle and alerted on it, indicating drugs were inside, Nolan said. Thompson then sped away south on I-57, he said.
The men eluded police and stopped at the rural residence where they brandished guns and tied up two men, one of whom they placed in the Infiniti’s trunk where sheriff’s deputies later found him, Nolan said. A woman who came to the residence to deliver baseball tickets was tied with speaker wire and telephone cord and threatened with death if she called authorities before two hours were up, he said.
When she heard two vehicles leave the residence, the woman freed herself and called 911, Nolan said. The two men had driven away in her van and a pickup truck from the residence, leaving the Ford behind.
Both men eventually wound up in the woman’s van, which was stopped by police at Illinois 133 and U.S. 45 in Arcola, Nolan said. Thompson ran to a nearby bank and a daylong hostage situation ensued while Brown remained in the van and was taken into custody, he said.
When Thompson eventually surrendered, police took a handgun from him.
Brown gave authorities several stories on what happened to the second gun he and Thompson had exhibited, but that weapon has never been found, Nolan said.
Contact Ingram at ringram@herald-review.com|421-7973
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~STRANGER~ wrote on Sep 5, 2009 10:51 AM: