Central Illinois man guilty in deaths of mother, daughter

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - A central Illinois man was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his live-in girlfriend and her adult daughter.

Jonathon Perry, 30, was accused in the March 2020 killing Kimberly Coyne, 54, and her daughter, Blair Coyne, 24, at their home northwest of the village of St. Joseph.

A Champaign County jury deliberated two hours Thursday before finding Perry guilty.

Perry was arrested after Champaign County sheriff's deputies learned he made statements consistent with injuring or killing the women while visiting his parents' home in Homer, authorities said after the victims' bodies were found.

During Perry's trial, prosecutors noted that when deputies arrived at his parents' home, he said he had killed the ``Antichrist and Satan," adding he hadn't killed any other people.

A court-appointed psychiatrist examined Perry three months after his arrest and declared him fit for trial.

Prosecutors pointed out blood found on Perry's pants contained the DNA of the victims. Assistant Public Defender Matt Ham argued the amount of the women's DNA found wasn't strong on some pieces of evidence as other and could have come from someone else.

Because he was convicted of two murders, Judge Randy Rosenbaum is obligated to sentence Perry to life in prison. A sentencing date has been scheduled for April 22.