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160-year sentence for girl's killer

Posted October 10, 2014 1:01 am

Associated Press

A man convicted of stabbing to death a suburban high school freshman during a 2011 burglary of her home has been sentenced to 160 years in prison.

John Wilson Jr. was sentenced Friday after a hearing during which the mother of 14-year-old Kelli O'Laughlin testified. Prosecutors contended the teenager was killed in her Indian Head Park home when she interrupted Wilson burglarizing the residence.

Brenda O'Laughlin testified she wished she'd been the one who walked into the house that day "to see that evil killer." After killing the teen, the 41-year-old Wilson sent the mother taunting texts from the girl's cellphone.

WLS-TV reported when questioned by the judge, Wilson said he didn't know why he was in court and "the voices in me told me not to talk to you."

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