7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
New Trial Ordered for Western Illinois Man in Girl's Death
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) -- An appeals court has ordered a new trial for a western Illinois man convicted of killing a 5-year-old girl who was in his care.

The Third District Appellate Court vacated the conviction of 31-year old Daniel Belknap of Macomb. No new trial date has been set.

The appeals court ruled that the judge in the case didn't properly question jurors before the trial.

In 2008, McDonough County jurors convicted Belknap of first-degree murder in the death of Silven Yocum, who died after more than a week in a coma. An autopsy found bruises on her head, back, shoulder, right ankle and foot.

Belknap had been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Yocum's mother, who dated Belknap, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
11 21 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.