EDWARDSVILLE — One of four people accused in the brutal death of an Alton man, who was beaten and then slain, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Monday.
Eric J. Swisher, 37, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton, pleaded guilty in Madison County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree murder, said Stephanee Smith, spokeswoman for the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors agreed to ask for a sentence of no more than 30 years in prison. Swisher will be sentenced in about six to eight weeks.
Swisher, along with Terry A. Ballinger, 20, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Kevin M. Scott, also known as “K-9,” 34, of Wellston, Mo., were charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Madison County Circuit Court. Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, also was charged in the case with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
Swisher’s three co-defendants still are awaiting trial, Smith said.
Charges state they repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton, and then slit his throat. They also are accused of holding Walker against his will. The incidents occurred during the evening hours last Feb. 22.
Walker’s body was found two days later in a vacant lot in Wellston, in North St. Louis County. His body was covered by an abandoned car seat. ..more.. by STEPHANIE KISZCZAK and SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
Fourth man charged in killing
7-13-2007 Illinois:
ALTON — A fourth man was charged Friday with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the February beating death of a man at the Alton Acres public housing complex.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Sherman L. Crockett, 25, of St. Louis, with the Feb. 22 killing of Ernest V. Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street in Alton. Crockett was charged in the criminal information with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping, a Class X felony.
No bond was set for Crockett, who remained at large Friday, authorities said.
Another man charged March 1 with first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the killing was arrested on a felony warrant Saturday in Hennepin County, Minn., while hiding in the Minneapolis area.
Lt. David Hayes, chief of detectives for the Alton Police Department, said the Ramsey County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Office had notified the Madison County Sheriff’s Department that they had Kevin M. “K-9” Scott, 27, of Wellston, in custody.
“Sgt. Gary Cranmer and Detective Pete Vambaketes on Monday morning flew to Minnesota,” Hayes said. “They interviewed Mr. Scott, and it was very productive and fruitful. It has confirmed all the evidence we had against Mr. Scott and the other defendants and shed light on another suspect.”
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan said Scott provided information that allowed detectives to more solidly piece together the chain of events in the homicide that began in Alton and ended with a mortally beaten Walker being dumped in a lot in Wellston in North St. Louis County.
Authorities believe Walker was killed because of “alleged sexual abuse of a family member of one of the defendants,” Sullivan said.
Charges filed March 1 in Madison County Circuit Court say three men repeatedly hit, kicked and stomped on Walker and slit his throat Feb. 22 outside his girlfriend’s apartment at Alton Acres and confined him against his will.
The men then drove Walker to Wellston and dumped him under an abandoned car seat in an empty lot. His body was found Feb. 24.
Besides Scott and Crockett, the other men charged with murder and aggravated kidnapping in Walker’s death are Terry A. Ballinger, of the 3100 block of Paul Street in Alton, and Eric J. Swisher, of the 3200 block of Belle Street in Alton.
Scott’s girlfriend at the time, Sigrid L. Hickman, of the 3100 block of Belle Street, was charged with concealment of a homicidal death. She was accused of destroying physical evidence of the slaying and providing a car for transporting Walker after the attack.
Sullivan said Walker was to be extradited at any time from Minnesota to the Madison County Jail in Edwardsville. ..more.. by LINDA N. WELLER, The Telegraph
SEE ALSO: In another case this year, Ernest V. Walker, 41, was kicked, stomped, beaten and his throat cut at Alton Acres public housing complex Feb. 22, then dumped in Wellston, Mo., where authorities believe he died. Three people were charged with first-degree murder and a fourth with concealment of a homicidal death in that case.
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Defendant found guilty in Alton man's killing
10-28-2008 Illinois:
EDWARDSVILLE - A judge took about a minute Thursday to find a Missouri man guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in the beating death of an Alton man after the defendant's former girlfriend testified against him.
Associate Judge James Hackett of Madison County Circuit Court returned the guilty verdicts in the non-jury trial of Kevin Scott, 34, of Wellston, Mo.
"I think he deserves what he got, but I think they all deserve the death penalty," said Keith Walker, the twin brother of victim Ernest V. Walker, 41.
Keith Walker said Scott and the other defendants tried to lure him into the same fate as his brother got.
"They said, ‘Come get me,'" said Mattie Bennett, the victim's mother.
The verdict came after Sigrid Hickman, the former girlfriend of the defendant, testified to seeing Scott and other suspects put the victim in the trunk of her car and drive off to Wellston.
Scott's defense attorney, Tim Berkley, claimed his client was threatened and was justified in punching Ernest Walker in the face just outside an Alton Acres apartment on Feb. 22, 2005. He said Scott took no part in the susequent fatal beating of Walker in Wellston, where the victim's body was dumped.
However, only one witness reported seeing Walker with a knife, and it was not taken out of the victim's pocket. It was showing from inside the pocket.
Walker, 41, of the 1300 block of Alby Street, Alton, got into a ruckus with several men at a party after he allegedly groped the girlfriend and daughter of the defendant, also known as "K-9."
Walker's body was found hidden beneath a car seat in a vacant lot in Wellston a few days after the beating. Authorities said the defendants, including Scott, allegedly took turns beating Walker in the face with the butt of a gun while in Wellston.
However, the incident started at the party in Alton, and witnesses testified Tuesday to seeing Scott punch the victim in the face, knocking him out cold. They also testified to seeing several young men carrying "the body" to the trunk of a car.
Scott, who waived his right to a jury trial, is one of four men charged in the death of Walker. Hickman also has been charged with concealing Walker's death by destroying physical evidence and providing a car for transporting the victim out of Alton. She is awaiting trial, and prosecutors have made no deal in exchange for her testimony.
Eric J. Swisher of the 3200 block of Belle Street, Alton, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. Terry A. Ballinger of the 3100 block of Paul Street, Alton, is awaiting trial. Sherman L. Crockett, of St. Louis, has been charged but remains at large.
The death came to light when Wellston police discovered the body and identified Walker through fingerprints.
Police did a neighborhood canvass around the public housing complex and developed several witnesses who saw different parts of what went on.
Scott faces a possible sentence of 20 to 60 years for the first-degree murder conviction and between six and 30 years for the aggravated kidnapping. The terms would run consecutively. ..Source.. by SANFORD J. SCHMIDT
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From the court record of Kevin Scott's trial:
The oldest girl saw Ernest touch her younger sister's buttocks as he hugged her, and she immediately went to tell her mother what she had seen. Sherman Crockett was within earshot and overheard the conversation. Sigrid asked the defendant to tell Ernest to leave. She told the defendant that she did not approve of the way Ernest was acting. She did not tell him that Ernest had inappropriately touched one of her daughters. That information was provided to the defendant by someone else.It looks like someone stretched the "touch [maybe a pat]" to "grabbing of the girl's butt," its no wonder the court gave out long sentences.
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