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Death penalty not in play in Westmont murder

A Westmont man will not face the death penalty if convicted of strangling his estranged wife the morning before their daughter's 5th birthday party.

Prosecutors announced their decision Wednesday against capital punishment in the case of Ian A. Alamilla, who is being held on a $2 million bond on murder charges.

The 34-year-old man is accused of killing his wife, Tara, 34, early April 10 in their home on the 300 block of Park Street, as their three children slept in the home.

Tara Alamilla filed for divorce March 5, but she allowed her husband to come over to discuss their daughter's party. The couple was married Aug. 2, 2002, in Oak Brook.

Hours after the murder, a distraught Ian Alamilla walked into a Chicago police station and said he was involved in "a fight with my wife in the suburbs," prosecutors said. "Did you kill her?" a police sergeant asked.

"I don't know," Alamilla replied, according to prosecutors. "Send someone to check."

The three children, ages 11, 6, and 5, were not physically injured. They did not witness the violence, prosecutors said.

Tara Alamilla worked as a Brookfield Zoo school program coordinator for the Chicago Zoological Society. She trained teachers how to go beyond the textbook in science and conservation lessons to better engage their students.

Ian Alamilla worked for Parker Hannifin Corp. in Woodridge. The Belize native does not have a known criminal history. He was staying nearby with a friend during the separation.

Prosecutors said he met with his estranged wife late April 9 in their home. A fatal dispute erupted a short time later. By 5:30 a.m. April 10, Alamilla drove to Chicago and turned himself in to police. He did not provide a full confession, other than admitting the two argued earlier that morning.

Prosecutors said officers found the back door of the Westmont home unlocked, as Alamilla said, and his slain wife lying clothed in a basement bedroom. Her body was covered with a blanket. Their children - including the youngest, Maya, who turned 5 the day her mother was killed - still were sleeping.

An autopsy later confirmed Tara Alamilla died of strangulation.

The law requires prosecutors to state their intentions regarding capital punishment within 120 days of indictment. Prosecutors typically weigh several factors, such as the nature of the crime and strength of the evidence, against a defendant's age, criminal and family record, mental health and the wishes of the victim's family.

Illinois' unofficial 2000 moratorium on the death penalty remains in place, but judges and juries across the state still hand out death sentences under the law, albeit with less frequency. There are 15 condemned men on Illinois' death row - which former Gov. George Ryan cleared out more than seven years ago before leaving office when commuting 167 death sentences to life prison terms.

Of Illinois' condemned, Anthony Mertz, 34, is first in line for execution, but he still hasn't exhausted his appeals on his conviction in the 2001 murder of Rolling Meadows native Shannon McNamara, 21, at Eastern Illinois University.

Tara Alamilla