The PEOPLE v. Hanson

Earl William Hanson, Billie Dean Pethtel and Dale Edward Scott were indicted for the murder of Thomas J. Shanks. A jury in the circuit court of Coles County found Planson, herein referred to as defendant, guilty and fixed his sentence at 199 years confinement in the penitentiary. A writ of error has been issued to review his conviction.

Thomas J. Shanks and his son Raymond were partners and owners of the Shanks Packing Company in Mattoon. About 12 minutes after 6 o’clock of the morning of June 5, 1959, Raymond Shanks arrived at the office of the Packing Company and found his father slumped…