Glen Ellyn man not guilty of attempted murder, convicted of battery
A Glen Ellyn man has been acquitted of attempted first-degree murder charges but still faces three to 14 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated domestic battery in a case involving his father.
A 12-member DuPage County jury deliberated for slightly more than five hours Thursday before returning the split verdict.
Charles Mitchell, who represented himself throughout the trial, used his closing arguments to again reiterate his claims that he hit his 61-year-old father in self-defense during a fight.
Charles Mitchell was charged with attempted first-degree murder and two counts of domestic battery.
"My dad was no slouch. He was a strong man," Mitchell, 27, told the jury. "If I allowed him to hit me, it could have been me in that situation."
But Assistant State's Attorney Bethany Jackson said Mitchell's defense had a first name.
"That's pure baloney," she said. "The truth is that (Mitchell) was in a blind rage. He was so upset that he beat his father. And then he tried to put him out of his suffering."
Prosecutors alleged and witnesses testified that Mitchell first attacked his brother, Joseph Mitchell, in a dispute over cellphone use sometime after midnight June 14, 2016. Then, sometime after 1 a.m., Charles Mitchell severely beat his father, leaving him in a pool of blood between two hotel beds.
Joseph Mitchell testified earlier this week that his brother scratched him on his throat and gouged his left eye before he ran to the hotel lobby to call police.
After police arrested Charles in the domestic assault of Joseph, Joseph returned to the hotel room and found their father, John Mitchell, on the floor.
John Mitchell suffered two brain hemorrhages, a nearly amputated ear, a broken jaw, several missing teeth and bruising to his forehead, chest and legs.
"There's no doubt the defendant caused great bodily harm to his father," Assistant State's Attorney Megan McGuire said in her closing argument. "In fact, he tried to kill him."
John Mitchell testified Tuesday he doesn't remember anything about the beating and had to be told by detectives what had happened to him.
Charles Mitchell is next due in court at 9 a.m. April 7 for the possible setting of a sentencing date.