34-year sentence in Elgin car ramming murder
Calling the crime “outrageous, unnecessary and just almost beyond description,” a judge today sentenced a Streamwood woman to 34 years in prison for using her car to run down and kill her teenage son’s rival in Elgin two years ago.
Timera D. Branch, 35, was found guilty of first-degree murder in August after an emotional two-day bench trial before Kane County Associate Judge Allen Anderson. She must serve all 34 years.
“The actions that take place in a matter of seconds will alter the lives of others forever,” Anderson said before issuing the sentence.
Branch faced up to 60 years in prison for killing John W. Keyes III, 17, of Elgin, on Nov. 8, 2009.
The night before his death, Keyes fought with Branch’s son, Lacorbek Benion, at a party after Keyes danced with Benion’s girlfriend.
Authorities said Branch vowed to get even and rammed Keyes, a former Larkin High School student, from behind and into an apartment building with her 1991 Chrysler Imperial as he walked in the 200 block of Center Street.
John W. Keyes Jr. of Indianapolis wanted Branch to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
“She took my son’s life and she should pay dearly,” the elder Keyes said afterward. “I don’t accept (Branch’s apology). I will never forgive her because she’s not paying for what she did.”
During the trial, prosecutors argued that as Keyes’ crumpled body lay on the ground, a second car with Benion inside pulled up. Benion got out and hit Keyes with a metal baseball bat after Branch yelled, “(Mess) him up, y’all (mess) him up!”
Benion, 18, of Elgin, also faces first-degree murder charges and is due next in court Dec. 8.
No trial date has been set for Benion, who was 16 at the time and is on electronic home monitoring pending trial.
Assistant State’s Attorney Greg Sams, the lead prosecutor in the case, argued for a 48-year sentence and noted Branch’s 13-year-old son was in the car when she ran down Keyes.
“This crime cries out for a long prison sentence. This crime has shocked the community and there is no other way to put it,” Sams said.
During the trial, Branch took the witness stand in her own defense, tearfully admitting that she hit Keyes with her car but couldn’t explain why. Wednesday, she apologized to the elder Keyes and the victim’s mother, Dionne Harris.
“What I did was absolutely wrong. Why I did it — it was for the love of my child,” a tearful Branch said. “Even though I did something wrong, I am not a murderer. I am not a killer.”
Defense attorney Liam Dixon argued for the minimum 20-year sentence, noted his client had no previous criminal history and years of her son being bullied caused her to just snap that day.
Testimony from witnesses to the attack said Branch’s car swerved and sped up to hit Keyes. The car hit Keyes with such force that marks from his metal-studded belt were left in the chrome bumper itself, Sams argued during trial.
Branch was arrested after police followed a trail of leaking car fluid to a nearby gas station and found a 23-inch-long streak of blood on the front bumper.
Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon credited his prosecutors and Elgin police detectives for bringing justice to this case of vigilante justice.
“There really are no winners today,” McMahon said. “Her senseless criminal acts resulted in two families being destroyed.”