The Fifth District Court of Appeals in Mt. Vernon has denied Steven Schmittler’s appeal of his murder conviction for the 2021 killing of Grayville oilfield worker Tommy “T.J.” Burns. Schmittler, 59, is currently serving a 65-year prison sentence.
Schmittler’s appeal claimed ineffective assistance of counsel, arguing his defense attorney should have requested separate trials for the murder and weapon possession charges. Additionally, it was alleged that prosecutorial misconduct occurred during closing arguments, including denigration of the defense’s key expert witness and misrepresentation of evidence.
The justices dismissed the appeal, noting, “The defendant cannot show that a reasonable probability exists that the result of the proceedings would have been different had defense counsel objected to the prosecutor’s improper comments during trial or in a posttrial motion.”
The incident occurred on November 20, 2021, at Ryan Duncan’s home in Grayville, where Schmittler and Burns were reportedly arguing over a bicycle. Witnesses testified hearing a loud “boom” before discovering Burns in a pool of blood. The murder weapon was later retrieved by police from a cistern using a magnet.
Presided over by Judge Michael Valentine, Schmittler is incarcerated at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling and will not be eligible for parole until May 2089.
Comments