A 61-year-old woman from Mt. Vernon has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the 2025 death of Patrick Williamson.
Laura Beneway received her sentence Thursday in Jefferson County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. The case was handled by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office following a referral from the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The investigation began on March 24, 2025, when Mt. Vernon police responded to a home on South 15th Street for a report of an unconscious man. Officers discovered 56-year-old Patrick Williamson deceased inside the residence. An autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Beneway, along with Peter Harris and Eddie Bennett, was arrested in connection with the homicide. Two other defendants are still involved in the legal proceedings. Peter Harris, 67, of Mt. Vernon, is awaiting trial on multiple counts of first-degree murder and obstructing justice, with a jury trial set for October. Eddie Bennett, 69, was previously convicted of first-degree murder by a Jefferson County jury and is awaiting sentencing.
Williamson was a sales representative at Monken Toyota in Mt. Vernon.
The Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office worked together on the investigation.