Man sentenced to 125 years for fatal shooting of ex-girlfriend in Alton
An Alton man was sentenced to serve 125 years in prison after a jury found him guilty in the 2018 killing of his ex-girlfriend and attempted killing of another man.
Ernie L. Sykes, 56, was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder in Madison County Court on March 5. In a Monday news release, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office stated that Sykes claimed “falsification of evidence” and that he was the real victim in the case.
At 4 a.m. on Nov. 21, 2018, the Alton Police Department responded to a 911 call from 26-year-old Daniel Ferrel, who told dispatchers he had been shot in the leg in his home at 2335 Edwards St. in Alton. According to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, when officers arrived, Ferrel met them at the door. He had three gunshot wounds.
Inside the house, Alton police found Angel Syddall, 31, in her bedroom with seven gunshot wounds, police said. Syddall was rushed to a local hospital where she died.
Upon investigation, police identified Sykes as Syddall’s ex-boyfriend.
Four days before Sykes murdered Syddall, police say he threatened her, indicating that her mother would need to “get a black dress” for Syddall’s funeral.
Sykes’ daughter testified at the trial against her father, a release from the court stated. She told the jury of the history between Sykes and Syddall, who was her friend.
The release also stated that all of Syddall’s roommates testified that “it was made clear” Sykes was not allowed in the house. At the trial, Sykes told the court a different story than what he had told police during the investigation.
At Sykes’ sentencing hearing, Syddal’s mother delivered a victim impact statement in which she said her daughter was “the light of my life, the joy of my heart. She was my only child, my only family.”
Judge Richard Tognarelli sentenced Sykes to the maximum sentence of 85 years for the first-degree murder charged to be served in full. Sykes was sentenced to an additional 50 years for the attempted murder charge, in which he will be required to serve 85% of the time. The sentences will be served consecutively with no possibility of parole.
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