Waukegan man guilty in woman's 2010 murder
A Lake County jury found a Waukegan man guilty of gunning down a woman while she was standing on a second-story porch in 2010.
Jamell Smith, now 21, faces up to life in prison when he returns to court to be sentenced Dec. 17, for shooting Amy Williams in the 700 block of Walnut Street.
The jury deliberated for four hours Tuesday before finding Smith guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder, Assistant State's Attorney Tim Niehus said.
Smith was 16 when he fired four shots at the mother of three children, prosecutors said. One bullet hit Williams in the chest and killed her, just after 11:30 p.m. Aug. 23.
Prosecutors said the shooting was in retaliation for the stabbing of a friend of Smith that occurred down the street that night. Williams had nothing to do with the stabbing, authorities said.
Smith confessed to shooting Williams on video to police, prosecutors said. That confession was played for the jury during the seven-day trial.
Smith was one of four people involved in the shooting, prosecutors said, but he was the only one to not take a plea deal and serve a prison sentence.
Waukegan residents Pierre Dorn, now 31, and Stephen Moore, now 23, each pleaded guilty to murder, while Luis Nazario, 23, of Zion, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery with a firearm. Dorn is serving a 28-year prison sentence, Moore received a 20-year sentence, and Nazario is serving 15 years.
The victim of the earlier stabbing was a cousin to Nazario, authorities said.
Defense attorney Ian Kasper argued in front of Judge James Booras that two guns were used the night Williams was killed, and Smith was intimidated by the others to be involved in the shooting. Kasper also argued Smith did not fire the fatal shot at Williams.
Smith is in Lake County jail while awaiting sentencing.