People v. Chapman
Case Date: 12/31/1969
Court: Supreme Court
Docket No: 85332 Rel
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Docket No. 85332-Agenda 1-May 2000. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Appellee, v. Opinion filed December 1, 2000. JUSTICE BILANDIC delivered the opinion of the court: Defendant, Reginald Chapman, was charged in the circuit court of Cook County with six counts of first degree murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, and two counts of concealment of a homicidal death. These charges related to the August 1994, murders of Angela Butler and Christopher Butler. The State nol-prossed the aggravated kidnapping counts, the concealment of a homicidal death counts, and the two felony-murder counts. The jury returned separate general verdicts of guilty against defendant for the first degree murder of Angela Butler and the first degree murder of Christopher Butler. The same jury found defendant eligible for the death penalty based upon the following two statutory aggravating factors: that the defendant murdered two or more individuals (720 ILCS 5/9-1(b)(3) (West 1998)); and that the defendant murdered an individual who was under 12 years of age, and the death resulted from exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty (720 ILCS 5/9-1(b)(7) (West 1998)). Defendant waived a jury for the second phase of the death sentencing hearing. After considering evidence in aggravation and mitigation, the trial court found no mitigating factors sufficient to preclude imposition of the death penalty and sentenced defendant to death. Defendant's death sentence has been stayed pending direct review by this court. See Ill. Const. 1970, art. VI, |