A court has rejected an appeal filed in a McDonough County murder case.
Timothy Smith, now 43, of Macomb was found guilty but mentally ill in the beating death of his cellmate, Darrell Hocker, 51, of Macomb, on November 8, 2023 in the McDonough County jail.
Smith was found guilty in August 2025 and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
In his appeal, Smith claimed the jury’s rejection of his insanity defense went against the weight of the evidence. He also said the prosecution’s closing arguments were prejudicial.
But the three-member appellate panel unanimously rejected those arguments.
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