5 years dropped from man's sentence for 2007 slaying

AURORA, Ill. (AP) - An Aurora man convicted of stabbing to death his 83-year-old neighbor in 2007 will spend five fewer years in prison for the crime.

An Illinois appellate court last year ruled in favor of resentencing Hector Mauricio in the death of Roscoe Ebey. The court asserts a Kane County judge placed too much emphasis on the victim's character.

Mauricio was sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder. The 28-year-old man was resentenced Friday to 55 years in prison.

Ebey was stabbed 36 times, and cut 38 times after Mauricio broke into the World War II veteran's home.

After attacking Ebey, Mauricio ransacked the house before trying to set it afire. Mauricio was caught by a neighbor as he tried to escape from the home through a basement window.