Illinois Man Gets 55 Years in Prison for Strangling Mother

The murder occurred late last year, prosecutors say

A Champaign, Illinois, man who pleaded guilty to murdering his mother in their home has been sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Champaign County Judge Heidi Ladd sentenced 41-year-old Richard Stover on Wednesday for the Dec. 29, 2017, strangulation death of 60-year-old Betty Jo Stover.

Ladd told the court Stover killed his mother "for no reason other than he was frustrated with her."

The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that prosecutors had sought a 60-year sentence, while Stover's public defender recommended a sentence closer to the minimum of 20 years.

Stover pleaded guilty in early May to a single count of first-degree murder. Other counts of murder, robbery to a store near his home that same day, possession of a stolen vehicle, and aggravated fleeing from police were dismissed.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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