Convicted killer of Granite City man sentenced in Madison County court

A St. Louis man found guilty of shooting to death a Granite City man in the spring was sentenced on Monday to serve a 65-year prison sentence.

Kadeem Noland was convicted of first-degree murder in May in the killing of 36-year-old Jason Thomas in January 2020, according to a news release from Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine.

Noland must serve 100 percent of the sentence, Haine said in his statement.

Thomas was found dead by police in the 2200 block of Benton Street in Granite City shortly after midnight on Jan. 9, 2020. An investigation led police to a St. Louis motel where Noland and Kristine Mills, 36, of Granite City were staying. Both were arrested.

Mills, of Benton Street in Granite City, pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing justice and was sentenced last year to six years in an Illinois prison.

The shooting was over a feud between Noland and Thomas, who both had been involved romantically with Mills, the Alton Telegraph reported after Mills’ sentencing.

Madison County Circuit Judge Kyle Napp sentenced Noland.

“This violent criminal came from St. Louis to Granite City to commit this terrible crime, and he will be serving this sentence until he is in his 90s thanks to our Madison County criminal justice system,” Haine said of Noland.

This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 3:30 PM.