People v. Coleman

The defendant, Alton Coleman, was charged by indictment in the circuit court of Lake County for the murder (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 38, pars. 9 — 1(a)(2), (a)(3)) and aggravated kidnapping (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 38, par. 10 — 2(a)(3)) of Vernita Wheat. A jury found the defendant guilty of each charge. The State requested a hearing to consider whether the death penalty should be imposed. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(d).) The same jury found the defendant eligible for the death penalty and found there were no mitigating factors sufficient to preclude a sentence of death. The…