The Chicago Sun-Times reported that 35-year-old Lombard woman Christy Lentz was sentenced to 50 years in prison for fatally shooting her father during a 2006 argument. She hid his body in a garbage can for more than a month after an unsuccessful attempt to burn his remains.
Christy Lentz was convicted of first-degree murder earlier this year. While she admitted to police that she shot her dad twice in the head, Illinois criminal defense attorney Richard Kayne had argued that his client acted in self-defense.
Prosecutors argued otherwise and ultimately won their case, which emphasized forensics reports showing that 58-year-old Michael Lentz had been shot in the back of the head. Prosecutor Alex McGimpsey called it a "cold-hearted crime," telling the jury that Christy Lentz "executed her father."
An earlier story about the incident published by the Chicago Daily Herald in August 2008 reported that Christy Lentz denied even pulling the trigger, claiming that it was an accident resulting from the struggle to fend off her father. Statements from her 5-hour taped interrogation were quoted in the article:
"I didn't make him do it. He came at me with a gun. I was like, 'What are you doing?' I pushed him. It went off. I freaked out. I didn't know what to do."
Richard Kayne tried to have the tape tossed out at trial, arguing that her statements to police were made under "duress and coercion." Prosecutors used taped snippets from the interrogation in which Christy Lentz accused her father of prior physical abuse to establish motive.
After she failed to burn the remains of Michael Lentz, she reportedly wrapped them in a tarp, surrounding the body with fans and air fresheners. Judge John Kinsella spoke to Christy Lentz about the "shameful" treatment of her father's body:
"Her treatment of her father after his death -- it's hard for a lot of people to even contemplate what she did."
Related Resources:
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Jury Sequestered in Villa Park Murder Trial (Chicago Daily Herald)
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Consult with a Chicago Criminal Attorney (FindLaw)
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