People v. Cantrell

The defendant, Ben Cantrell, after a jury trial, was convicted of the murder of Ellen Willis a/k/a Ellen Cantrell. Following a hearing in aggravation and mitigation, he was sentenced to a term of 14 to 25 years.

The testimony at trial revealed that the defendant and the victim, Ellen Willis, had been living together as husband and wife for eight years. During that time, defendant had supported Ellen and her two children.

Roy Drake, a witness for the State, testified that he and his wife owned Roy’s Comer Tavern, in the city of Chicago, and lived in an apartment above the tavern. On June 5,…