Opinion ID: 2052462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: extended-term sentences

Text: Defendant next argues that he should not have received extended-term prison sentences for concealing the Marshels' deaths. We agree. A Class 3 felony, concealment of a homicidal death carries a prison term of two to five years. 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1(a)(6) (West 1996). The trial court, however, imposed an extended term of 10 years' imprisonment for each of defendant's convictions, concluding that defendant's abuse and mutilation of the bodies demonstrated exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty. See 730 ILCS 5/5-5-3.2(b)(2) (West 1996). We agree with defendant that the concealment of a homicidal death cannot be exceptionally brutal or heinous and indicative of wanton cruelty. This court defines heinous behavior as behavior that is `hatefully or shockingly evil: grossly bad: enormously and flagrantly criminal.` People v. Lucas, 132 Ill.2d 399, 445, 139 Ill.Dec. 447, 548 N.E.2d 1003 (1989), quoting People v. La Pointe, 88 Ill.2d 482, 501, 59 Ill.Dec. 59, 431 N.E.2d 344 (1981), quoting Webster's Third New International Dictionary 1050 (1971). Brutal behavior is behavior that is `grossly ruthless, devoid of mercy or compassion: cruel and cold-blooded.' Lucas, 132 Ill.2d at 445, 139 Ill.Dec. 447, 548 N.E.2d 1003, quoting La Pointe, 88 Ill.2d at 501, 59 Ill.Dec. 59, 431 N.E.2d 344 (1981), quoting Webster's Third New International Dictionary 286 (1971). Finally, wanton cruelty requires proof that the defendant consciously sought to inflict pain and suffering on the victim of the offense. People v. Pastewski, 164 Ill.2d 189, 194, 207 Ill.Dec. 316, 647 N.E.2d 278 (1995). Certainly, the trial court did not err in concluding that defendant acted brutally and heinously when he burned the Marshels' bodies, stuffed them into a duffle bag, and sank them in a pond. Such behavior is undoubtedly hateful and evil, evincing a complete lack of compassion and mercy. However, to justify an extended-term sentence, defendant also must have demonstrated wanton cruelty, which, as we define it, cannot be perpetrated on a corpse. One simply cannot consciously seek to inflict pain and suffering on a dead body, as a dead body feels nothing. Accordingly, we hold that the trial court erred in imposing extended-term sentences for defendant's concealment convictions. Defendant's behavior was undoubtedly brutal and heinous, but it could not have evinced wanton cruelty as this court defines it. As the trial court clearly intended to impose the maximum sentence available, we modify the trial court's judgment and reduce the sentences for defendant's concealment convictions from 10 years' to 5 years' imprisonment.