St. Clair County jury finds Centreville man guilty of murdering woman in 2019
A Centreville man was found guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a woman he was living with in 2019.
A St. Clair County jury found Timothy Stokes guilty on Thursday of killing Michelle Williams, 24, and an additional charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm for shooting at a police officer.
The two had a domestic relationship “which in part formed a motive for the killing,” according to a release from the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Illinois State Police troopers arrested Stokes after searching for him for several hours on the morning of June 30, 2019, forcing the shutdown of Interstate 255 north of I-64. Police blocked all lanes of the highway at mile marker 21, near Caseyville, as well as the I-64 westbound ramp to I-255 northbound before he was taken into custody about a half a mile from the highway.
Stokes faces a minimum of 45 years and a maximum of natural life for the murder.
For firing 9 mm pistol at a vehicle occupied by Illinois State Trooper Derek Cullen, he could be sentenced to 10 to 45 years. The sentences will have to be served consecutively with no probation, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Stokes is being held at the St. Clair County Jail pending sentencing on May 30.
Jason Emmanuel, criminal chief for the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office and Mel Kimberlin, assistant state’s attorney for the Domestic Violence and Special Victims Unit, prosecuted the case.
The state’s attorney’s office credited the Illinois State Policed Division of Forensic Services and East St. Louis Police for their roles in the investigation.
This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 8:58 PM.
