Streamwood mom accused of killing son's enemy

Most parents would die for their kids.

A Streamwood mom is accused of killing for hers.

Timera Branch, 35, is accused of using her car to crush 17-year-old John W. Keyes III against a building in the 2000 block of Center Street in Elgin the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2009.

Her trial is scheduled to begin Monday in Kane County. Last week, she opted for a bench trial before Judge Allen Anderson instead of a jury.

Authorities say the lethal attack was payback from a fight at a party a day before between Keyes and Branch's son Lacorbek Benion over a girl. Benion is accused of taunting Keyes, of Elgin, as he was pinned against an apartment building by Branch's 1991 Chrysler Imperial and hitting him at least twice with a baseball bat, causing his death.

She drove to nearby Kimball Street, her car leaving a trail of fluid; Keyes was found unresponsive and died a short time later at Sherman Hospital.

Greg Sams, the lead prosecutor in the case, told Anderson that some of the state's witnesses were reluctant to testify and subpoenas are lined up to compel testimony.

If convicted of murder, Branch faces up to 60 years in prison.

Benion, 17, also is accused of first-degree murder in the case. Benion, of the 1300 block of Todd Farm Road, Elgin, is on GPS monitoring and next due in court Sept. 9.

Pride of the Fox:The St. Charles Police Department recently was granted its seventh award of National Accreditation at the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Conference in Cincinnati.The department also received the #8220;Accreditation with Excellence#8221; Award, presented to agencies that display excellence in a manner that sets the benchmark for public safety professionalism. In April, a team of CALEA assessors visited for four days and held an on-site inspection and examined all aspects of the St. Charles Police Department.Reaccreditation is for a period of three years, during which the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the 464 standards. The St. Charles Police Department first achieved its accredited status in 1989.Car show planned:The fifth annual Charity Car and Motorcycle Show, sponsored by Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez, will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Martin Family Farm, 2S111 Green Road in Elburn.Registration is from 9 a.m. to noon, and Sept. 4 is the rain date. The fundraiser will benefit the Special Olympics.The cost is $5 per car for general admission, or $10 per car if the owner is entering it in one of the many categories available, which range from pre-1949 to foreign cars. There also will be a raffle, prizes and more.For more information, call (630) 208-2003, (630) 208-2024 or visit the sheriff's website at kanesheriff.com.