People v. Beaman

Jennifer Lockmiller was discovered murdered in her Normal, Illinois apartment. Police believed the murder occurred between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. Police found fingerprints belonging to Lockmiller’s former boyfriend, Alan Beaman (defendant); her current boyfriend, Michael Swaine; and an unidentified person. Police ruled out Swaine and another former boyfriend, Stacey Gates, both of whom presented alibis. Beaman had argued with Lockmiller about other men she had been seeing and recently broke off the relationship. Beaman stated that the night before the murder, he worked third shift at his uncle’s store, stopping at a bank before returning to his Rockford, Illinois home shortly after 10:00 a.m. Beaman’s mother stated that she saw Beaman’s car in the driveway when she arrived home at 2:15 p.m. The state (plaintiff) argued that Beaman could have made the four-hour round trip to Normal to murder Lockmiller if he drove 10 mph over the speed limit both ways. Beaman was convicted and moved for postconviction relief, arguing that the state withheld exculpatory evidence of another suspect, John Doe, whom the police had considered a viable suspect. Doe informed police that he and Lockmiller had been renewing their relationship. Doe lived 1.5 miles from Lockmiller’s apartment. Swaine and Lockmiller had visited Doe’s apartment days before the murder. Doe sold Lockmiller drugs, and she owed him money. Doe had a violent history with his girlfriend, who was with Doe between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. the day of the murder. Doe failed to cooperate and complete a polygraph. The trial court denied Beaman’s motion. Beaman appealed.