Illinois man with trick gun gets 30-year prison sentence
Posted December 17, 2019 6:00 am
JONESBORO, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois man accused of rigging a shotgun to his shed to prevent breaks-ins has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in the death of a man who opened the door and was shot.
A jury in Union County rejected arguments that William Wasmund had a right to defend his property with the lethal trap.
Wasmund, 49, of Chester was sentenced Monday, three months after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Jeff Spicer.
At trial, Wasmund's attorney told jurors that Spicer ignored signs telling people to stay away from the shed.
"Those are the acts that caused his death," Thomas Mansfield said.
Jurors heard testimony about other efforts to keep people out of the shed, including razor blades on the door.
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