Sentencing delayed for man convicted of killing Round Lake Park woman
Sentencing for a Kenosha, Wis., man found guilty of murdering a Round Lake Park woman has been delayed.
Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes said Friday that Montego Suggs, 29, must first go to trial on the 2007 charges of attempted murder and attempted robbery of a Beach Park convenience store clerk. Once that trial is completed, a court date will be set for Suggs to be sentenced for the murder of 22-year-old Melinda Morrell.
Suggs was found guilty in September of first-degree murder for killing Morrell during a robbery at a Check N Go in Waukegan on May 21, 2007.
According to testimony during the four-day trial, Suggs forced Morrell onto the floor of the check cashing store on the 1100 block of Green Bay Road, and shot her in the back of the head before fleeing with about $2,000.
Five days later, testimony showed, Suggs entered the Ma and Pa’s Grocery Store on the 3700 block of Green Bay Road in Beach Park, forced the store clerk on the ground and attempted to shoot him in the back of the head.
However, according to testimony, the gun misfired after it was not properly loaded. Suggs fled the store but dropped the gun during his exit.
Suggs was taken into custody following brief police chase into Wisconsin. He has remained held without bond in Lake County jail since that arrest.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys explained in court Friday the trial could be a stipulated bench trial, where evidence and testimony introduced during Suggs’ previous murder trial would be stipulated and agreed to. If so, the time required for the attempted murder trial would be cut significantly.
Both sides are due to return to court Oct. 23 with a schedule of proceedings. The attempted murder trial is set to begin Nov. 18.