Ingleside man resentenced in fatal stabbing
An Ingleside man who was previous sentenced in 2012 to 30 years in prison in the fatal stabbing of a Riverwoods teen during an argument over a pot purchase had his sentence reduced by a dozen years in Lake County court, prosecutors said Monday.
James Lewis, 47, was resentenced to 18 years in prison in the 2010 death of John Herres, 19, Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Matt DeMartini said. Lewis needed to be resentenced after the Illinois 2nd District Appellate court changed his conviction from first-degree murder to second-degree murder this year, DeMartini said.
"In this case, the appellate court ruled that (Lewis) had an unreasonable belief that he was acting in self-defense," DeMartini explained. "Previously, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, which is why he was sentenced to 30 years."
Under the new guidelines, Lewis will need to serve 50 percent of his sentence to be eligible for parole, DeMartini said.
Lewis was in his home in the 26900 block of Route 134 on Feb. 14, 2010, when he stabbed Herres in the stomach with a 5-inch knife after a dispute over a marijuana purchase, DeMartini said.
Lewis had agreed to buy a quarter-ounce of pot for a group of teenage boys at his home, prosecutors said, but suspicions arose about whether Lewis kept some of the marijuana for himself.
Lewis' girlfriend and the mother of one of the teens in the home found the stolen marijuana in Lewis' breast pocket, DeMartini said. Lewis and his girlfriend got into a verbal argument and when Herres confronted Lewis about the way he was treating the woman, he stabbed Herres, DeMartini said.
Herres was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he died.
DeMartini said Lewis received 1,850 days credit for time served.