PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Charges against a Maquon woman accused of poisoning a former police chief have been reinstated by an appellate court.
Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin said the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield issued a ruling Tuesday that restarted the case against Marcy L. Oglesby, who was facing counts of attempted first degree murder, first degree murder and aggravated battery in connection with the death of Richard Young.
On Oct. 7, 2022, his remains were found in a storage locker in Maquon, a village along Illinois Highway 97 and Knox County Highway 20, about a mile north of Illinois Highway 8. Prosecutors believe she poisoned the former chief with eye drops. The two had reportedly been in a long-term relationship.
She was charged with murder in February 2023 but her attorney filed a motion to dismiss the charges a month later, based up a violation of her speedy-trial rights which require the state to prosecute her case within 120 days.
The defense attorney argued the murder counts were not filed within 120 days and thus, must be thrown out. She had initially been charged with concealment of a homicidal death. A Knox County judge agreed and tossed the charges out.
Karlin’s office appealed and this week, the appellate court judges said the local judge was wrong.
“The appellate court ruled that because the concealment of a nonhomicidal death and the murder charges were not a part of the same act or action by the defendant, they were not required to filed at the same time,” Karlin said in an email. “Specifically, Oglesby’s alleged poisoning of Richard Young was an entirely different act than hiding his remains in a storage unit.”
And as such, her speedy-trial rights weren’t violated.
Oglesby, who remains free on pretrial release, will next appear in court on Jan. 8, 2024.
If convicted of all charges, she faces up to 60 years in prison.
