Last defendant in murder case pleads guilty

The final person charged in a 2005 road rage beating death of a man in Gurnee pleaded guilty Friday in Lake County circuit court.

William Pressley, whose 2007 trial on first-degree murder charges ended with a hung jury, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a prison sentence of seven years.

Pressley, 30, was one of three Waukegan men in a car being driven by Gregory McKnight, 33, on Sept. 22, 2005. McKnight, Pressley and Terrence Woods, 27, were stopped at a traffic signal after leaving a Park City bar when their car was struck from behind by a car driven by Jesus Gaytan, 26, of Waukegan.

Gaytan sped away from the scene, but McKnight pursued him to an industrial park in Gurnee where the drivers confronted each other.

According to testimony at Pressley's trial, McKnight and Woods left their car and repeatedly punched and kicked Gaytan.

Pressley eventually joined the fray, but it was unclear from the testimony of Knight and Woods exactly how much he had to do with Gaytan's death.

Circuit Judge Fred Foreman acknowledged the lesser role Pressley played in accepting the plea.

"This is a very serious charge," Foreman said. "But I recall from the trial that this defendant's participation was not as significant as the two co-defendants."

All three defendants were originally charged with first-degree murder, but McKnight and Woods pleaded guilty to second-degree in August 2006.

McKnight was sentenced to 19 years in prison and Woods received 18.

Foreman told Pressley he will have to serve 50 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole, and will receive credit for the nearly two years he has been in custody.