A former Marine who was convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a man whose puppy urinated on his award-winning lawn Wednesday was sentenced to four years probation.
Charles Clements, 69, won't do any jail time for killing his neighbor Joshua Funches, 23, during an argument outside Clements' home.
In May 2010, as Funches passed Clements' home while walking his fox terrier, the dog lifted its leg and relieved itself, witnesses said. The two men got into an argument. Clements then pulled out a gun and shot Funches in the abdomen, police said.
Funches later died of his injuries. He was the father of two children, ages 1 and 4.
The Will County State's attorney issued a statement following the ruling.
“Given the serious nature of the crime and the evidence presented at trial, the State’s Attorney’s Office asked the judge for a prison sentence for Charles Clements. After presiding over the trial and hearing all the facts and circumstances, the judge determined that probation was an appropriate sentence. He is an excellent judge and we respect his decision.”
Having repeatedly earned University Park's lawn upkeep award, Clements often verbally harassed anyone who stepped near or on his precious grass, neighbors said.
