EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A jury has convicted a southwestern Illinois man of killing and dismembering a woman in 2013.
In a news release, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office says the jury deliberated for four hours on Monday before finding 35-year-old Brandon L. Chittum guilty of first-degree murder, dismembering a human body and concealing a homicide in the death of the woman whose remains were found along the Illinois River in Greene County.
Chittum of Collinsville is the second man to be convicted in the slaying of 30-year-old Courtney Coats of Alton. In 2014, co-defendant Patrick Chase was sentenced to 65 years in state prison for the crime.
Chittum faces a minimum sentence of 65 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.