UPDATED 6:08 P.M.
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria County jury reportedly took just a short period of time to convict a Peoria man of murder Wednesday — the second of two trials going on this week in county courtrooms.
Court records indicate Christopher Sanders, 45, was found guilty of First-Degree Murder in the death of Mona Ellison, 50, whose body was found in an alley in East Peoria in late-January of 2021.
That’s where Sanders allegedly took Ellison’s body to. The cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Because of the alleged brutal and heinous nature of the crime, Sanders could receive as much as life in prison when he’s sentenced August 17th, according to a news release from Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos’ office. Other reports suggested Sanders could receive up to 100 years in prison.
Ellison and Sanders were believed to be in some form of a relationship at the time of Ellison’s death.
“The remaining moments of Mona Ellison’s life are nearly unspeakable. The defendant literally beat the life out of her, and my office will do everything to ensure his ends in prison,” said Hoos, in a news release.
