On Thursday morning, Timothy Smith, 42, was sentenced to 50 years for the murder of his McDonough County Jail cellmate, Darrell Hocker, 50. The fatal beating occurred on November 8, 2023, inside the jail cell.
Smith was found guilty but mentally ill of first-degree murder on August 27, 2025, following a retrial. The first trial ended in a mistrial in June 2025.
More details will appear in upcoming editions of the Community News Brief and online at communitynewsmarket.com.
