Guilty: Geneva resident Shadwick King convicted of first-degree murder

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A 12-member jury Monday night convicted a Geneva man of killing his wife.

The jury found Shadwick King guilty of first-degree murder at the conclusion of deliberations that started sometime after 4:10 p.m. Monday afternoon.

A court clerk at about 10:05 p.m. Monday read the verdict for the jury in a courtroom that contained relatives from the families of Shadwick King and his wife, Kathleen King. Shadwick King was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the July 6 death of his wife.

Kathleen King's family members began to cry as soon as the verdict was read. Shadwick King appeared disappointed as he sat next to his attorneys, Kane County Public Defender Kelli Childress and Special Public Defender Dan Konicek.

"That's bittersweet – oh my God," Kurt Kuester, Kathleen King's father, said to a family member near the elevators on the third floor of the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles Township after the verdict.

Relatives of Kathleen King, speaking through a victim's advocate, said they did not wish to comment at this time.

Shadwick King's father declined to comment as he left the third floor of the judicial center.

The rest of Shadwick King's family was solemn as they left the third floor. Kane County Public Defender Kelli Childress declined comment before she walked into the Public Defender's Office on the second floor of the judicial center.

"Not tonight, sorry, not tonight," a visibly emotional Childress said.

The trial started two weeks ago with jury selection on March 2.

Judge James Hallock thanked the jury members for their service and set Shadwick King's sentencing for 9 a.m. May 6.

"Thank you … this has been a long trial," Hallock said to the jury.

In a news release, Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon stated it was "a classic case of domestic violence."

"Mr. King was angry that his wife had become emotionally involved, perhaps more, with another man, and chose the ultimate act of violence to end the relationship," McMahon stated in the release. "This is no morality play; this is jealousy and rage. Plain and simple, he killed her."

In the statement, McMahon praised "our prosecution team of Greg Sams, Mark Stajdohar and Kathleen Doyen, as well as Chief Greg Mexin and the Geneva Police Department led by Detective Bob Pech, and the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force for all of their diligent and painstaking work to solve this case.”

“When we charged Mr. King with murder, I promised that our office would vigorously pursue justice for Kathleen and her family and friends, and the Geneva community," McMahon stated in the release. "Although we have done that, we cannot erase the emptiness that her friends, family, and particularly her children will continue to feel going forward. It is not lost on us that Kathleen’s children will now grow up without their parents. That is at least as great a tragedy as Kathleen’s murder."