Illinois Department of Corrections - New Home For Wonder Lake Man

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Richard G. Nielsen, 53, formerly of Wonder Lake, was sentenced today to 32 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for one count of First Degree Murder following a jury trial in August 2013.

The evidence at trial revealed that on February 6, 2012, Defendant was asked to leave a Wonder Lake residence earlier in the day, but returned to the home late that night drunk, angry and demanding that he be allowed to stay.  When the victim, Jeremy Lechner, asked Defendant to leave, he was stabbed in the chest with a knife. The medical evidence at trial showed that there was significant force to break through the victim’s rib, go through his lung and puncture his heart.  The victim died from a single knife wound to his heart.

This case was investigated by the Wonder Lake Police Department and McHenry

County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted for the State by Assistant State’s Attorneys Sharyl Eisenstein and Michael Combs.

Forty-Five Year Sentence For Murder

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Tim Smith, 28, formerly of Woodstock, was found guilty, after a five hour jury deliberation, of the offense of first degree murder.

This case was investigated by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department. The victim, Kurt Milliman, had responded to a Craig’s List advertisement which offered the services of a prostitute in exchange for money.

When Milliman arrived at the defendant’s home on 4320 Doty Road, Woodstock, he met Kimberly Smith, the defendant’s wife. The two started to have sexual relations, but Kimberly Smith abruptly stopped and an argument ensued. The defendant then came out of a room where he had been hiding and shot Kurt Milliman in the back. The defendant then damaged his home, smashed a window and called the police claiming someone had broken into the home and attacked his wife.

A subsequent investigation by the Sheriff’s Department revealed that the defendant had placed the ad on Craig’s List and was “pimping” his wife for profit. The defendant was interviewed by detectives and admitted to fabricating the story of the break-in and that he had been selling his wife for sex on the internet.

Smith will be sentenced on April 25, at 1:30 pm and faces a minimum sentence of 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Michael Combs, Chief of the Criminal Division of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, Patrick Kenneally and Andrew Mueller.

First Degree Murder Conviction For 22-Year Old

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, reports that Defendant Victor Bandala-Martinez was convicted of the offense of First Degree Murder.

Bandala-Martinez was found guilty after a three day bench trial prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs and Chief of the Criminal Division, Philip Hiscock. The evidence at trial showed that the defendant stabbed the victim, Yair Cabrera, in the heart with a sharp object. This occurred on December 14, 2008 in McHenry, Illinois. The defendant then fled the scene and disposed of the murder weapon. The defendant was later apprehended by the police while hiding in a closet in his home and was taken to the police station and interviewed.

The offense of First Degree Murder is punishable from between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. There will be a sentencing hearing on August 12, 2010.