Hanover Park man pleads guilty to murder

The Hanover Park man charged with inflicting the stab wounds that killed a dollar store clerk during a 2008 robbery attempt pleaded guilty Friday in exchange for prosecutors not pursuing the maximum punishment.

In exchange for Dewaun Tate's guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to cap their sentencing recommendation at 50 years for the first-degree murder of 56-year-old Vatsala Thakkar. The crime carries a mandatory 20- to 60-year punishment.

A shackled Tate, now 20, answered only “yes” as Judge George Bakalis asked if he understood his rights and the process moving forward as a result of his guilty plea.

Tate is the third and final co-defendant to face the judicial system.

Jerry Lockhart, 42, also of Hanover Park, was accused of planning the robbery and was sentenced in March to 30 years in prison. Co-defendant Seneca Berry, who was 15 when the robbery occurred, pleaded guilty in July 2009 and is now serving 17 years in prison.

Thakkar, a mother of three, was stabbed repeatedly on Nov. 20, 2008, after she was robbed of about $135 at Dollar Plus in Hanover Park.

“Complete justice has finally been served for Vatsala Thakkar,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. “All three men responsible for her senseless murder have been held accountable for their actions.”

Tate's next court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. July 8 for the return of the pre-sentencing report. Sentencing will follow.