DeKalb man gets 52 years for murder of 15-year-old Gracie Sasso-Cleveland

A DeKalb man who pleaded guilty to murdering high school freshman Gracie Sasso-Cleveland was sentenced Thursday to 52 years in prison.

Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery sentenced Timothy M. Doll, 32, of DeKalb, at a crowded hearing Thursday afternoon at the DeKalb County Courthouse.

Doll was 29 when he suffocated Sasso-Cleveland, 15, to death following an argument at his apartment, police said. He previously told police he knew the girl was half his age but had pursued an illegal dating relationship with her, according to court records.

Days before his case was set to go to trial, Doll pleaded guilty in February to first-degree murder in the May 2023 killing, in favor of a plea agreement struck between prosecutors and his defense lawyer, Andrew Nickel.

Authorities said Doll suffocated the teenager to death after they argued at his apartment the night of May 4, 2023. The DeKalb County Coroner’s Office ruled that she died May 4 from asphyxiation, records show. Police did not find her body until May 7, one day after her mother, Ericka Sasso, reported her missing. She was found dead in a dumpster just outside Doll’s apartment.

Doll faced 20 to 60 years in prison. Under Illinois law, he will not be eligible for probation. He’s been held without release since his May 2023 arrest.

This is a developing story which will be updated.