Danny Phelan County Board District 9 | Peoria County
Danny Phelan County Board District 9 | Peoria County
On June 6, 2025, in Peoria, Illinois, Judge Stephen A. Kouri sentenced Jared R. Williams to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Williams, aged 19, was found guilty of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Mason R. Loy in August 2023. The incident occurred in the parking lot of Laramie Liquors in South Peoria.
Initially charged with first-degree murder and transferred to adult court, a jury determined that Williams was guilty of second-degree murder due to prior threats made by Loy towards him.
During the sentencing hearing, the State advocated for a maximum sentence of 20 years due to what they described as extreme circumstances surrounding the case. Prosecutors detailed how Williams had aimed a gun at an unarmed Loy in public before firing four shots as Loy attempted to flee. Three bullets hit Loy's back, and additional shots struck store windows nearby.
The prosecution also noted that Williams engaged in violent behavior while detained, involving himself in altercations at both the Juvenile Detention Center and Peoria County Jail. Despite these arguments from prosecutors, Judge Kouri decided on a sentence closer to the minimum allowed.
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