A Macomb man was sentenced to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the beating death of his cellmate in the McDonough County Jail nearly two years ago.
In August, during a re-trial after the initial trial in June was declared a mistrial, Timothy Smith, 42, of Macomb, was found guilty (but mentally ill) of first-degree murder for the Nov. 8, 2023 beating death of his McDonough County Jail cellmate Darrell Hocker, 50.
'Due to the extraordinary level of depravity and disregard for human life, I agree with the prosecution's recommendation of 50 years,' Judge Nigel Graham told the court during the Oct. 16 sentencing hearing. 'Mr. Smith waited until the guards had completed rounds, turned off the lights and the television … he waited until darkness fell before beating Mr. Hocker to death. This shows planned and organized thought, it shows foresight in planning.'
Smith faced 20 to 60 years in prison, with 100 percent time to be served and a mandatory three years supervision. State Attorney Matt Kwacala, in his opening remarks, stated that even though Smith had no prior convictions, the unprovoked attack was intentional.
'This is the most brutal attack I've seen in my 25 years as an attorney. It didn't just happen. It wasn't a coincidence,' Kwacala continued. 'He murdered Darrell Hocker 20 minutes after lights out. It was a mega violent attack. He knew what he was doing.'
