An Illinois man will spend the next two decades in prison after admitting to killing one of his friends in a fit of jealous rage.
Kyle M. Cooper, 36, agreed to a plea deal earlier this month in the stabbing death of Daniel J. Gordon, 27, on Valentine’s Day.
Originally charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery, the defendant ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder.
Cooper formally entered his plea and delivered an allocution before Whiteside County Circuit Court Judge James Heuerman.
“This was all so stupid,” Cooper told the judge, according to a courtroom report from Shaw Local News Network. “I knew D.J. (Gordon). I liked D.J. “He was a friend of mine.
The defendant was quickly sentenced to 20 years in prison.
According to the Rock Falls Police Department, the incident took place in the early morning hours of February 14.
Officers arrived at the house on West 20th Street at 1:50 a.m. in response to reports of a stabbing. Inside, police discovered the victim with multiple “severe” stab wounds to his abdomen. Gordon was quickly transported to CGH Medical Center in Sterling, a small town about 115 miles due west of Chicago.
The victim eventually died as a result of his injuries.
Cooper explained during the plea and sentencing hearing that he was first dating a woman who Gordon later dated, but they remained friends even after the woman came between them.
“He [Gordon] wanted me to stay away from his girlfriend, and I wanted him to stay away from mine,” Cooper told the judge.
A detective testified at a preliminary hearing that Gordon and Cooper had a verbal altercation at a bar on the night of February 13.
Gordon left with the woman, and the two planned to play cards and dice at a friend’s house. But on the way there, they passed Cooper’s house, which sparked another argument.
The couple left, but Cooper followed, and the two friends confronted each other in the driveway of the Rock Falls house, where disagreements, humiliations, and jealousies eventually escalated into violence.
On Thursday, Cooper reflected on the woman’s decision to leave with Gordon, saying he didn’t believe she wanted to play cards that late.
“I hated it,” he said. “My purpose was to confront.”
Shaw Local reported that prosecutors previously laid out the final moments during a February hearing. As Cooper exited a vehicle, the woman noticed something shiny in his hand and became concerned that he would use a knife to vandalize her vehicle. Cooper shoved the woman shortly after, and Gordon intervened to protect her, but Cooper was soon on his back, stabbing him multiple times. The defendant fled the scene but was arrested later that night.
“I want that decision back,” Cooper said on Thursday.
Nonetheless, the condemned man stated that he was not there to seek anything from those who will bear the brunt of the consequences of Gordon’s death.
“I’m not entitled to your forgiveness, and I’m not asking for it,” the defendant told the gallery.
During the impact statements, the victim’s family members expressed fond memories of their loved one and directly addressed his killer.
“I expect you to carry an insurmountable amount of guilt with you for the rest of your days,” Gordon’s brother told him. “You will never be forgiven.”
The victim’s parents stated that this was the second time they had to bury a child, having lost their daughter to illness at the age of 10.
“I do not know if or when anyone in my family will understand how something like this happens,” Gordon’s mom told me. “He was my first.” He made me a mother.
The victim’s father stated that when his son was killed, something inside him “broke.”
“You deserve to be locked in a cage; you actually deserve worse,” Gordon’s father added. “When you get to hell, beware, I might be in charge.”
Cooper received the maximum sentence of 20 years under the plea agreement, plus one year of supervised release. He received 97 days of credit for time spent in pre-trial detention.