Opinion ID: 2017830
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Guilty-Plea Proceedings

Text: On June 11, 1992, defendant changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. The circuit court admonished defendant regarding the rights he was waiving as a result of the guilty plea and the range of punishments that were possible upon conviction. Defendant indicated that he understood his rights and understood the range of potential sentences. When asked if defendant was promised anything in exchange for his plea of guilty, defendant responded in the negative. The State then presented the following information as the factual basis for the plea. Kahla was last seen roller-skating with her friends outside her home in Spring Valley in the late afternoon of September 28, 1991. When Kahla's mother was unable to find her daughter, she contacted police, and a search ensued. A witness reported seeing Kahla talking to a man in a red Ford Ranger pickup truck at approximately 6:30 p.m. on September 28, 1991. The man was described as a white male in his mid-thirties, with medium length brown hair. While the authorities in Bureau County were making inquiries into Kahla's disappearance, investigators in nearby Knox County were busy looking into an aggravated criminal sexual assault of a 10-year-old child that occurred there on September 27, 1991. As a result of that investigation, defendant was charged with that crime, and a warrant for his arrest was filed. Bureau County authorities learned of the Knox County charges and were informed by Knox County investigators that defendant left Knox County on September 28, 1991, and was heading to Berrien County, Michigan, driving eastward on Route 6, which leads to Bureau County. Defendant's general appearance and the red Ford pickup truck that he was driving matched the description of the man seen talking to Kahla prior to her disappearance. As a result, Bureau County authorities identified defendant as a suspect in Kahla's disappearance. Law enforcement officials in Berrien County, Michigan, arrested defendant on the Knox County charges on October 10, 1991. After waiving his Miranda rights, defendant agreed to provide authorities with information concerning Kahla's disappearance. Defendant told authorities that he was traveling from Illinois to Michigan in his red Ford pickup on September 28, 1991. Eventually, defendant detoured into Spring Valley sometime in the late afternoon. Defendant admitted that he was an active pedophile and that at that time he hurt inside and was seeking a child for relief. The defendant explained that he saw Kahla, who was roller-skating in an area defendant described as residential. Defendant stopped his car and engaged Kahla in conversation. Kahla entered defendant's car after she agreed to go with him to a nearby convenience store to buy a soda. Defendant stopped at the store and purchased two soft drinks and a candy bar. Defendant and Kahla thereafter left the store and drove together in an aimless fashion around Illinois. Defendant stated that after several hours of travel, he found an abandoned farm, consisting of several buildings, near Clinton, Iowa. The farm was located at the end of dirt road off of a state road. Defendant hid his pickup truck in a pig coop building and then entered the barn. There, he discovered some blankets and old mattresses on the bed of an old truck. Defendant and Kahla slept there. Defendant admitted that, at sunrise, he performed anal intercourse on Kahla, and then they both fell asleep. According to defendant, both he and Kahla later awoke to the sound of gunshots. Both became frightened because some of the gunshots sounded close in vicinity. Defendant stated that Kahla became hysterical at this point and repeatedly told defendant that they should leave. Defendant was afraid, however, that he might be discovered, and he began to lose control. He then obtained an electric cord from inside the barn and, with Kahla standing face to face with him, he twisted the cord around the back of her neck. Defendant stated that Kahla's face first turned red, her body then became limp, and she fell to the ground. Defendant checked for a heartbeat and found that Kahla was still alive. Defendant then left the barn in order to find out from where the gunshots had come. Defendant reentered the barn after he discovered that no one was around the farm. He intended to untie the cord from Kahla's neck, but when he returned to where she was lying, he could no longer hear a heartbeat. Defendant realized that Kahla was dead and proceeded to hide her body in the upper loft of the barn. Defendant then returned to his pickup truck and left the farm. Defendant proceeded to drive to Michigan, where he remained until his arrest. During the course of defendant's interviews, defendant drew a map of the farm where Kahla's body could be found. Defendant described Kahla's clothing in detail and noted that he left her body fully clothed except for her roller skates. Subsequently, authorities conducted a search in the area identified by defendant, and Kahla's body was ultimately found, fully clothed, except for shoes, on the second floor of an abandoned barn. A white electrical cord was wrapped tightly around her neck. The cord matched an electric blanket found at the scene. Investigators also found an old truck, mattresses, and a blue bed sheet on the premises. An autopsy revealed that the cause of Kahla's death was ligature strangulation from the electrical cord. Kahla sustained injuries to her anal and vaginal areas. Forensic tests indicated that seminal matter found on Kahla's underpants and on a bed linen found in the barn could have come from defendant. Before accepting defendant's pleas, the circuit court addressed defendant again, inquiring if anyone had made any promises to him or had coerced him to plead guilty. Defendant responded in the negative. Based on the guilty pleas, the circuit court convicted defendant of both aggravated kidnapping and first degree murder. The sentencing hearing was set for August 17, 1992.