Teen gets 15 years in 2009 Elgin car ramming murder
An Elgin teen was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for his role in the death of John W. Keyes III, a 17-year-old who was run down from behind by a car and smashed into an Elgin apartment building in November 2009.
LaCorbek Benion, 18, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in exchange for prosecutors dropping more severe murder charges.
He received the maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge, but he can have his sentence halved for good behavior.
“I'm just happy he's not getting off scot-free. He definitely has time to sit down and think about what happened,” said Keyes' older sister, Latasha Keyes. She said she preferred a longer sentence, but “At the end of the day, God is the one to judge him.”
Benion's mother, Timera Branch, 36, Streamwood, was convicted last year of first-degree murder and sentenced to 34 years in prison. She drove the car.
Benion, whose trial was tentatively set for June 4, wrote a letter to Judge Allen Anderson apologizing for the “loss of life” — but not mentioning Keyes by name.
“As I think back, I wish I knew then what I know now. I wish my mother would have made better choices also,” said Benion, who just turned 16 at the time of Keyes' murder. “I wish I was with a different set of people at the time of this incident.”
Benion and Keyes had fought at a party on Nov. 7, 2009, after Benion confronted Keyes, who had danced with Benion's girlfriend.
The next day, Branch set out to find Keyes and found him walking in the 200 block of Center Street on Elgin's near east side, She ran him down from behind, smashing him into a building.
According to testimony from Branch's trial, Benion and others armed with various weapons pulled up in a second car. Benion got out yelled, “Talk (trash) now” to the mortally wounded Keyes before hitting him with a baseball bat.
In her trial, Branch testified that she and others were going to talk to Keyes and make peace, but she just snapped and ran him down.
Another witness, however, testified that after Branch struck Keyes and the second car pulled up, Branch yelled, “(Mess) him up, y'all (mess) him up!” Other witnesses outside on that warm, Sunday afternoon said Keyes ran and Branch swerved toward him and sped up.
Police arrested Branch minutes after Keyes was struck. They followed a trail of car fluids around the block and found Branch's 1991 Chrysler Imperial with a mangled front end and a nearly two-foot-long smear of Keyes' blood on the chrome bumper.
Although there were numerous witnesses that day, Assistant State's Attorney Greg Sams said, Keyes' autopsy did not show injuries consistent with those caused by a baseball bat. Sams also noted that prosecutors took into account numerous factors, such as Benion's role in the crime, before coming to the agreement.
“We felt that based upon his level of participation, this was an appropriate sentence,” he said.
Benion had been on electronic home monitoring since his arrest in early 2010. He would have faced 20 to 60 years if convicted of first-degree murder.
Anderson told Benion that he still had a chance to make a difference with his life, which is what he pledged to do in his letter. “You've got a future. I hope you put it to better use,” Anderson said.
Latasha Keyes covered her ears when Benion read his letter.
“I didn't even want to listen to what he had to say,” she said. “I don't want his apology. (Benion and Branch are) not sorry about what they did to my brother. They're only sorry they got caught.”