Jury finds man not guilty in 2022 stabbing death of neighbor

MOULTRIE, Ill. (WAND) - A jury has found Matthew Nation not guilty in the 2022 deadly stabbing of a Lovington man.

Nation was arrested in 2022 in connection with the stabbing of Michael Peck, 54.

According to Illinois State Police, Nation called 911 and told dispatch he had stabbed his neighbor, Michael Peck.

During the investigation, detectives found a trail of blood from the Nation's house to Peck's house. According to ISP, Nation told police, Peck had come over to his house during the early morning of Sept. 26, 2022 and started throwing things at the house. Nation then told police, he grabbed a knife and went outside to confront Peck.

According to ISP, the men got into a fight and Nation stabbed Pack multiple times, before he went back home.

After interviewing other neighbors, investigators found the that Peck and Nation had been arguing the day before about a barking dog citation. According to ISP, Peck was upset about the citation and blamed his neighbor.

The autopsy found Peck had been stabbed eight times.

A jury took less than four hours to return a verdict of not guilty Wednesday.