People v. Palmer

After a jury trial in the Circuit Court of Union County, the defendant was convicted of murder and three counts of aggravated battery. He was sentenced to concurrent terms of 100 to 150 years imprisonment for murder and 3 1/3 to 10 years for each aggravated battery. The victim of the offenses was Jason Bruce, the 22-month-old son of Catherine Bruce, who resided with the defendant at his trailer home in rural Anna.

On appeal, the defendant alleges numerous errors: that the prosecution failed to prove that the defendant inflicted the fatal injuries on the child; that the evidence as to the…