Round Lake man gets 19½ years for stabbing death

A Round Lake man was sentenced to 19½ years in prison Wednesday for stabbing another man to death during a drug transaction.

James Webb, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Cydric Jones, 36, after a jury trial in January.

Jones agreed to meet at a street corner in Round Lake Beach during the early morning hours of Aug. 20, 2008 to sell Webb some cocaine.

But Jones was upset because Webb owed him $175 for past drug purchases, and began demanding his money once Webb showed up for the meeting.

What Jones didn't know was Webb was concerned Jones would start something over the money, and had armed himself in anticipation of a confrontation.

Webb had also told his cousin, who accompanied him to the drug deal, that he intended to "stick" Jones with the kitchen knife he was carrying.

Jones fled after being stabbed, according to testimony at the trial, and Webb chased him for close to two blocks before watching Jones collapse.

Webb was charged with first-degree murder, but a jury found him guilty of the lesser offense after a four-day trial.

Prosecutors Steven Derue and James Newman asked Circuit Judge John Phillips to impose a sentence of 20 years, while defense attorneys Kevin Malia and Eric Rinehart requested a term near the lower end of the range.

Webb faced a prison term of four to 20 years on the second-degree murder charge, and would have been eligible for 20 to 60 years if convicted of first-degree murder.