Man pleads guilty in death during kidnap of lottery winner

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - A central Illinois man has pleaded guilty to murder charges in the death of a man during a kidnapping that authorities say stemmed from trying to steal money from recent lottery winnings.

Thirty-year-old Danny Smith Jr. of Peoria pleaded guilty during a Tuesday court hearing. He was charged in the December 2016 death of 41-year-old Maunds Bryant of Normal. The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports he faces a prison term of between 20 and 60 years when he is sentenced Nov. 20

Prosecutors say Smith kidnapped Bryant and his father and that Bryant died from a head injury suffered during a fall at the Peoria house where they were taken.

Court documents say Bryant's family had won a $420,000 state lottery prize and Smith demanded a $25,000 ransom.

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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com