BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - A central Illinois man has been sentenced to 48 years in prison for the death of a man during a kidnapping that authorities say stemmed from trying to steal recent lottery winnings.
The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports 30-year-old Danny Smith Jr. of Peoria learned his punishment Tuesday after pleading guilty to felony murder in the December 2016 death of 41-year-old Maunds Bryant of Normal.
Prosecutors say Smith kidnapped Bryant and his stepfather and that Bryant died from a head injury suffered during a fall while being kidnapped.
Court documents say Bryant’s family had won a $420,000 state lottery prize and Smith demanded a $25,000 ransom.
A statement read by Bryant’s sister, Juanita Bryant, said he suffered from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which left him unable to walk.
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Information from: The Pantagraph, http://www.pantagraph.com
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