Elgin man sentenced to 55 years for mistaken-identity fatal shooting

Corrected 11/16 that the murder weapon was found in an awning at Ingram's girlfriend's apartment.

An Elgin man was sentenced Friday to 55 years in prison for gunning down 20-year-old Devonte Turner in an Elgin housing complex parking lot - a shooting, prosecutors said, that was possibly meant for Turner's identical twin.

A Kane County jury in September convicted William Ingram, of the 0-99 block of Poplar Creek Drive, of first-degree murder and other felonies in the April 30, 2015, shooting on the 1200 block of Fleetwood Drive.

Ingram, 32, faced 20 to 60 years in prison for murder, plus an additional 25 years because jurors concluded Ingram personally discharged the firearm that killed Turner. Ingram must serve the full sentence, issued by Judge Charles Petersen.

Turner's mother, Dorothy, said her son was a loyal friend, respectful and loving of his family. "(Ingram) took an awesome young man away from here," she said after the sentence, which she described as "disrespectful."

"Fifty-five years is not enough for me. Throughout the whole trial, (Ingram) showed no remorse," Turner continued. "My son was 20 years old, he had a life ahead of him. He can't give me grandchildren. He's gone and can't come back."

Turner was a front-seat passenger in a car while his friend completed an errand in the apartment complex when Ingram sneaked up behind and fired seven .40-caliber shots through the rear window. Turner was hit twice, including once in the head.

At trial, prosecutors utilized surveillance video of the parking lot and apartment stairwells to place Ingram at the scene, and police found the murder weapon hidden in an awning at Ingram's girlfriend's third-floor apartment in the complex.

Ingram's vehicle had been shot at days beforehand, and prosecutors believe he mistook Turner for someone else, possibly his identical twin.

Ingram also is serving a 15-year prison sentence for a cocaine conviction.

"Mr. Ingram is a known drug dealer, receiving the first of several drug convictions in 2007," State's Attorney Joe McMahon said. "He was given multiple opportunities to stop his criminal lifestyle but instead became more violent. Guns and criminals inevitably result in death or prison. With this sentence, Mr. Ingram will have a long time to think about his poor decisions, and the missed opportunities to turn his life around."