Illinois State Police

Man Who Locked Daughter in Basement Now Fit for Trial

A suburban Chicago man who, with his wife, is accused of confining their 10-year-old daughter to their basement has been found fit for trial.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has found 48-year-old Randy Swopes can stand trial in Lake County on child endangerment and unlawful restraint charges.

Swopes is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 15 for a hearing in which his attorneys can either accept or challenge the fitness determination.

After previously being deemed unfit for trial, Swopes was held in a secure treatment facility in Elgin for treatment.

Swopes and his wife, Katherine, are accused of keeping their daughter in a basement room for months. They claim they believed she was possessed by a demon.

Forty-nine-year-old Katherine Swopes is free on a $25,000 signature bond and is prohibited from contacting the victim and three other children.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us