• ILLINOIS NEWS

Convicted murderer attempts to hang himself
March 11, 2010 22:29 EST

LACON, Ill. (AP) -- Authorities in Marshall County say a man sentenced to life in prison last week for the murder of his girlfriend attempted to hang himself in the county jail only hours before he was to be transferred to the Stateville Correctional Center.

The Marshall County Sheriff's Department says 40-year-old Tony Smith was sentenced March 4 for fatally shooting 49-year-old Judith Berchtold five times at a Sparland intersection on April 11, 2009.

Sheriff Rob Russell says an officer who was doing cell checks discovered Smith hanging from the bars by his pillowcase and sheet early Thursday morning.

Officers cut Smith down and he was transported to Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton.

After several hours of treatment, Smith was released and transported to Stateville to begin serving his life sentence.

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Information from: News-Tribune, http://www.newstrib.com

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