Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced a guilty verdict in the case of Jesse Landers, a Vermilion County resident charged with the 2023 murder of John Carmean. The verdict was delivered by a jury at the Vermilion County Circuit Court.
Landers, aged 43 and from Danville, Illinois, was found guilty of first-degree murder for fatally stabbing Carmean, who was also from Danville. The incident occurred on January 3, 2023. Landers is scheduled to appear in court again on April 17.
Raoul expressed hope that the verdict might offer some closure to those affected by the crime. "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," he stated. He also emphasized ongoing collaboration with local authorities to address violent crimes.
The attack took place on a street in Danville where Carmean identified Landers as his attacker before being taken away by emergency services. Law enforcement later located Landers walking nearby. The weapon used in the crime was discovered in an alley and contained DNA evidence linking both men.
The prosecution was handled jointly by Raoul's office and Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline M. Lacy’s office. Lacy extended her gratitude to the jury for their attention and sympathized with Carmean's family: "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," she said.
Deputy Bureau Chief Jonathan McKay and Supervising Attorney Daniel Weiler prosecuted on behalf of Raoul’s Criminal Prosecutions and Trials Assistance Bureau alongside Assistant State’s Attorney Jamison Gent from Lacy's office.