Guilty in stabbing death, St. Charles man faces up to 60 years in fracas

A St. Charles man was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday in the stabbing death of another man last fall.

Jurors deliberated a little more than two hours before convicting Arthur Manning, 58.

Manning was accused of stabbing Naromi Mannery, also of St. Charles, late Sept. 21, 2008, outside of Manning's residence at 920 W. Main St. Mannery then walked across Main and collapsed on a sidewalk, where passers-by found him and called police. He died in surgery Sept. 22.

Manning testified Tuesday that he did not know Mannery, who accompanied or followed another resident to the house. The house is owned by Windy City Amusements Co., which rents space in it to its workers, including Manning.

Manning said company rules prohibit having nonemployees at the house, and that he repeatedly told Mannery, who was drunk, to leave. When he didn't, Manning got his brother, Guy, and two other men out of the house and they confronted Mannery outside. A fight broke out.

Witnesses and Manning said Mannery charged Guy Manning twice, who in turn hit him with a collapsible lawn chair. Arthur Manning testified that Mannery then punched him in the face. He then stabbed Mannery in the shoulder, then the victim bent over "like a football player," charged at him and lifted him over his shoulder. Mannery said he then stabbed him in the back. He said he did not remember stabbing Mannery in the chest, which was the fatal blow.

Manning could have been convicted of second-degree murder, which carries a lesser sentence, if the jury found that Manning believed he was acting in self-defense, even if the belief was unreasonable.

Defense attorney David Kliment argued that was so, especially because of Manning's age and physical condition. Manning, an ex-jockey, has a metal plate in his right shoulder, which is paralyzed because of a horse stepping on it. He only has one eye, and he has kidney disease.

Judge Timothy Sheldon denied letting the jury consider self-defense and a mitigating factor of provocation.

"He (Mannery) was just a drunk trying to finish his beer and smoke some cigarettes and have some company," Sheldon said, describing Mannery as a "diminutive" man facing four other men in the fight.

Prosecutor Greg Sams disputed self-defense, noting that in a videotaped interview with police, Manning said "I stabbed him because I was angry ... they (the other men) were trying to stop me from what I wanted to do. I was trying to kill him." He also argued that Mannery was bent over because he had been stabbed in the heart, not that he was charging Manning.

Manning's next court date is 9 a.m. April 22, at which he could be sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison, with no time off for good behavior.

Willie L. Wimberly, 55, and Guy Manning, 51, face first-degree murder charges, accused of aiding and abetting in the fatal stabbing. Darren Barnett, 42, was charged with obstruction of justice after police said he tried to clean up the crime scene.

The case marks the first murder in St. Charles since 2003.