Illinois teen in clown outfit charged with murder of 78-year-old man
A teenager accused of stabbing a 78-year-old man to death while dressed as a clown was charged with murder Thursday, and the prosecutor wants to try him as an adult, Illinois officials said.
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John Wesley Allen was killed Monday in East St. Louis. He “was waiting at a bus stop when he was stabbed in a random attack by a suspect wearing a clown outfit,” Illinois State Police said.
The 15-year-old suspect, who was arrested after the stabbing, was charged Thursday with a count of first-degree murder, state police said in a statement.
The teenager had “the intent to kill or do great bodily harm” to Allen, who was stabbed “about the body with a knife, thereby causing” his death, according to a court filing by St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Derek Smith.
The state’s attorney is seeking to prosecute the teen as an adult on a first-degree murder charge, according to the court document.
East St. Louis police were called for a report of a body in a roadway around 10 p.m. Monday and found Allen, of Jennings, Missouri, dead, state police said.
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The 15-year-old was located at a residence and arrested Monday, state police said.
State police have said that video of the suspect wearing a clown costume is circulating and that they are seeking to obtain all video in the case.
Doorbell camera video obtained by NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis showed a person whose face was partly covered looking into the camera and saying, “I have a gift for you.” Neighbors told the station they saw a person going door to door with a large knife Monday night.
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether the teenager, who remained in custody Thursday, had a defense lawyer to speak on his behalf.
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East St. Louis is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.
