Ingleside man sentenced to 30 years for killing Riverwoods teen
A Lake County judge has sentenced an Ingleside man to 30 years in prison for stabbing a teen to death on Valentine’s Day in 2010.
James Lewis, 44, faced 20 to 60 years for the murder of John Herres, 19, of Riverwoods during a small party at Lewis’ home in the 26900 block of Route 134.
During the sentencing hearing Tuesday, prosecutors and Lewis’ defense attorney said Lewis is an alcoholic.
Prosecutors alleged that Lewis was intoxicated at the time of the murder.
Lewis offered “deepest sympathy” to Herres’ family and asked the court to “recognize that this was a disease of alcoholism.”
Jurors deliberated about three hours in April before finding Lewis guilty of first-degree murder. Jurors also had the option of finding Lewis guilty of a lesser second-degree murder charge during the trial.
Prosecutors said Lewis was in his home on Feb. 14, 2010 when he killed Herres after a dispute over a marijuana purchase.
Lewis had agreed to buy a quarter-ounce of pot for a group of teenage boys at his home, prosecutors said, suspicions arose about whether Lewis kept some for himself. The suspect’s girlfriend and the mother of one of the teens in the home grabbed a cigarette pack from Lewis and stated she saw marijuana inside of it.
Trial testimony showed Lewis, who had been drinking from morning until the early-afternoon dispute, started arguing with the woman when Herres intervened. Lewis pulled a 5-inch knife from his belt and plunged it into the unarmed Herres’ abdomen.
On a videotape played at the trial in April, Lewis told detectives he was “drunk and stupid” when he pulled out the knife and stabbed Herres.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.