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April sentencing set for Naperville man who stabbed sleeping couple

A 21-year-old Naperville man will learn in late April how long he will sit in prison for the 2015 attempted murders of the parents of a girl he said called him "ugly."

DuPage Judge Liam Brennan set an April 25 sentencing date Tuesday for Zachary Machnikowski with the expectation that the hearing will continue into April 26. Machnikowski faces 12 to 60 years in prison.

In the early morning hours of March 31, 2015, Machnikowski stood over the bed of William and Mary Lenk of Naperville and stabbed them numerous times with a 10-inch-long serrated bread knife.

In June, Machnikowski accepted responsibility for the crimes when he pleaded guilty to charges of attempted first-degree murder and home invasion.

Prosecutors said Machnikowski broke into the Lenks' home on the 900 block of Iroquois Avenue around 1:25 a.m. and repeatedly stabbed each of them in the head, neck and body.

Authorities said Machnikowski believed the couple's daughter, who police said sneaked out of their house to attend a party, told another person at the gathering she thought Machnikowski was ugly.

Authorities said he became angry, left the party, entered the Lenks' home through an unlocked rear door and attacked the girl's parents.

Police said Machnikowski told them he entered the home planning to steal liquor but instead stabbed the parents as a way to hurt the girl the way he said her comments hurt him.

The Lenks survived after being treated at Edward Hospital in Naperville for as many as eight stab wounds each.

Machnikowski has been held without bail since his arrest the night of the stabbings.

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