A male suspect from Zion man was found guilty on Thursday, July 16, 2021 of all charges stemming from a 2017 home invasion that left one man in critical condition and ended in the sexual assault of an area woman.
After closing arguments Thursday morning, Lake County Circuit Judge Mark Levitt found D’Javon Hudson guilty of attempted murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, home invasion, aggravated battery, and violation of an order of protection.
Four of the charges are class X offenses, which carry a mandatory sentencing range of six to 30 years in prison. Judge Levitt set a sentencing date of Aug. 17.
“The events of that terrible night in 2017 finally ended in a just verdict today,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said after Levitt’s ruling Thursday.
“I want to commend the bravery of the victims, and the hard work of our team of prosecutors, Jason Humke and Lauren Walker, as well as our Victim Witness Coordinator Kim Clark. We continue to provide support to the survivors in this case, and we will seek a very lengthy prison sentence for the offender.”
In the early morning hours of Sept. 21, 2017, Zion police responded to a stabbing in an apartment on the 2700 block of Galilee. On arrival, police found a man with multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest, and abdomen, and a woman who had been sexually assaulted.
The man was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. He survived, and testified at Hudson’s trial.
Prosecutors said Hudson entered through a window of the apartment just after midnight and attacked the man, who was asleep in bed, with a knife. Officials said he was stabbed more than 20 times.
Hudson was arrested after being found hiding above a closet inside the apartment, and the knife used in the attack was recovered at the home as well.
Although he initially was represented by attorneys, Levitt eventually granted Hudson’s repeated requests to defend himself. In addition to going pro se, Hudson chose a bench trial, meaning a judge, rather than a jury, would decide the case.
In handing down the verdict, Levitt concluded both the evidence in the case and the state’s witnesses proved the charges beyond any reasonable doubt. Levitt said, “the evidence was not close on any count.”
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