Aurora man gets 60 years for fatally shooting girlfriend

An Aurora man was sentenced to 60 years Thursday for the 2014 slaying of his girlfriend in a domestic dispute.

Christopher M. Whetstone, 49, was sentenced for the murder of 22-year-old Rachel Taylor by Kane County Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti after being convicted by a jury March 27 of first-degree murder.

On the night of January 13, 2014, Taylor had driven to Whetstone's Aurora home to let him see the two children they had together. As they were outside in the 500 block of Charles Street, they began to argue over a cellphone. Whetstone shot Taylor in the chest, and Taylor exited the vehicle yelling, "He shot me, he shot me!" As Taylor tried to flee, Whetstone followed and shot her twice more in the abdomen.

He was arrested by Aurora police about 10 minutes later, just a few blocks from the scene. According to the Kane County state's attorney's office, Whetstone said, "You got me, you got me," and then asked for a cigarette, saying it was the last one he would smoke for a while.

Taylor was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Whetstone had faced a minimum sentence of 45 years' imprisonment. He receives credit for 1,355 days served in the Kane County jail since his arrest.

"Instead of giving in to Rachel Taylor's wishes to end their relationship, Mr. Whetstone violently ended her life, shooting her while they were in her vehicle, and then chasing her down and shooting her two more times," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said.

"Not to be overlooked in this horrific tragedy is the fact that, because of his inability to control his anger, their two children will grow up without their parents. I hope Rachel's family will feel that justice has been served in this case.

McMahon pointed out Whetstone had been convicted six times for domestic violence over the last two decades and had nine felony convictions on his record.

"His lawless ways are over," McMahon said.