Chicagoan found guilty in ’08 murder of Elgin man
FROM STAFF REPORTS May 10, 2012 6:54PM
Dion Spears, 29, of the 9700 block of South Princeton Avenue in Chicago, was convicted Thursday by a Kane County jury of first-degree murder, armed violence (a Class X felony) and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (a Class 4 felony).
Updated: June 12, 2012 8:24AM
ST. CHARLES TWP. — A Chicago man faces at least 60 years in prison after he was convicted in Kane County court of killing a man in Elgin more than four years ago.
Dion Spears, 29, of the 9700 block of South Princeton Avenue, was convicted Thursday by a Kane County jury of first-degree murder, armed violence (a Class X felony) and unlawful possession of a controlled substance (a Class 4 felony).
In addition, the jury found that Spears personally discharged the firearm that caused the death of the victim, 29-year-old Derrick Bey of Elgin.
The jury reached its verdict in less than two hours of deliberation.
Testimony showed that at about 2 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2008, Spears and Bey were outside the La Movida nightclub at 840 N. State St. in Elgin. An argument broke out, and Spears fired two shots from a .32-caliber revolver that both struck Bey, one in the chest and one below the waist. Bey died a short time later.
Spears began to run across State Street and was struck by a passing car, seriously injuring him. As Spears was in the ambulance, a police officer said he found a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in his possession. At the hospital, Spears also was found to have .9 grams of cocaine hidden in his mouth.
According to state records, Spears had been released from prison just four days before the shooting, after serving half of a four-year sentence for selling cocaine.
Associate Judge Patricia P. Golden set Spears’ next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. July 24 for post-trial motions and sentencing. Spears faces a sentence of between 60 years and life in prison. The sentence includes a mandatory 25 years to life enhancement because Spears used a gun in the murder.
“This is another example of someone who likely will spend the rest of his life in prison because he chose to shoot and kill someone to settle a dispute,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said. “I appreciate the Illinois Legislature’s decision to provide tough sentencing laws for people who illegally use firearms, particularly for those who use firearms for the commission of a crime.”
