DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that a Danville man has been found guilty in a fatal stabbing from 2023.
John Carmean, 35, was found by Danville officers with a stab wound to his neck on Jan. 3, 2023. Before being taken away by first responders, he was able to identify Jesse Landers, 43, as the man who stabbed him.
An investigation found that the two men had been in an argument that turned into a fight when Carmean was stabbed. Landers was arrested shortly after.
A Vermilion County Circuit Court jury found Landers guilty of first-degree murder.
“While nothing will change the events of that tragic day, it is my hope this verdict will provide some sense of closure for the families impacted by this senseless act of violence,” Raoul said. “I look forward to continued partnerships with the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office in protecting residents from violent crimes and holding those who commit them accountable.”
The AG's office prosecuted the case along with Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline M. Lacy’s office.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to the jury, for their careful attention to the evidence and for delivering a guilty verdict in this case,” said Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline M. Lacy. “I would also like to extend my sympathies to the family of the victim for their heartbreaking loss. While there are no words that can ever fully heal the pain they’ve had to experience, I hope that this conviction brings them some sense of closure. Our thoughts remain with them as they continue to grieve."
Landers heads back to court on April 17 for sentencing.
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