People v. Whiters

Defendant, Sherry Whiters, was charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of Cecil Barker. Following a jury trial, defendant was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. The appellate court reversed and remanded the matter for a new trial, finding that defendant was entitled to an instruction on involuntary manslaughter and that she was prejudiced by the improper character evidence regarding the victim. (204 Ill. App. 3d 334.) The State appeals. We affirm.

The circumstances of the crime are reported in detail in the appellate court opinion. We include a brief summary of the facts…