People v. Phillips

The defendant, John Paul Phillips, was indicted on April 8, 1986, by a Jackson County grand jury on five counts for the November 11, 1981, murder of Joan Weatherall. Count I charged that the defendant committed murder with the intent to kill the victim (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(1)); count II charged that the defendant committed murder knowing that his actions created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(2)); counts III, IV, and V charged that the defendant committed murder while committing the forcible felonies of…