Collinsville man sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing neighbor with shotgun

A 59-year-old Collinsville man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for murdering his neighbor by shooting him with a shotgun.

Robert T. Beckman had pleaded guilty last year to one count of first-degree murder for the 2018 shooting of Daniel R. Lee, 42, according to a press release emailed Friday by the Madison County state’s attorney’s office.

“This was a totally senseless and preventable murder and loss of an innocent life — all because the defendant lost his temper,” State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons stated in the release. “We are all praying for the family and loved ones of the victim, that they will find peace and healing after so much suffering.”

Madison County Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli gave Beckman the maximum sentence under his plea agreement.

The release described the following set of facts in the case:

• On June 15, 2018, Collinsville Police Department received a 911 call from Gary R. Lee, saying his son had been shot in the head.
• When officers arrived, Lee identified his son’s shooter as ‘Bob’ Beckman, a neighbor.
• Lee told police that the defendant walked out on his porch, approached his son’s Ford F-150 pickup truck and fired one round into the driver’s side, striking his son in the head.
• After shooting Daniel Lee, Beckman returned his shotgun to his residence and fled the scene in a Chevy Astro van before crashing it into a guardrail.
• Illinois State Police responded to the scene of the crash.
• After Beckman was taken into custody, he was recorded on a telephone call saying, “There are no words to describe what I did. ...You knew I had a bad temper. You knew these people pissed me off. I snapped.”

At a hearing Friday in Madison County Court, Gary Lee spoke on behalf of his son, according to the release.

“The bond we (had) and still do is in the depth of my soul,” he said. “No one can take that away. Not even Robert Beckman. ... I will never understand how someone can have so much hate in their heart. Bob, you’re a monster. I started to say an animal, but animals care more than you ever could.”

Gibbons praised First Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe, chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, Collinsville Police Department and Illinois State Police for their work on the case.

“I am pleased that the defendant ... will spend the rest of his life behind bars,” Uhe stated. “While nothing can bring Daniel Lee back, this sentence will ensure this defendant cannot hurt anyone else. ... Hopefully this maximum sentence will give the family and friends of Daniel Lee some peace and closure.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 5:27 PM.