Crime & Courts

Plea deals possible for 2 men still facing first-degree murder charges in Three Oaks slaying

Negotiations continued to next month for Petersen, Linke after Miller accepted deal in May

Devin Petersen appears in court with attorney Thomas Carroll, right, inside Judge Robert Wilbrandt's courtroom at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center on Friday, June 25, 2021 in Woodstock. Petersen, along with William Linke and Michael Miller, is being charged in the murder of Robert Krikie at Three Oaks Recreation area on March 17, 2020.

Devin Petersen appears in court with attorney Thomas Carroll, right, inside Judge Robert Wilbrandt's courtroom at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Woodstock. Petersen, along with William Linke, is being charged in the murder of Robert Krikie at Three Oaks Recreation Area on March 17, 2020. Another man, Michael Miller, was initially charged with murder as well, but saw that charge dropped as part of a blind plea agreement he entered in May 2021. (Matthew Apgar/Matthew Apgar)

By Sam Lounsberry

Plea deals are in the works for two men charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 51-year-old man found last year at Three Oaks Recreation Area in Crystal Lake, lawyers said in court Friday.

One of the three originally charged with murder, Michael M. Miller, 34, entered a blind plea deal in May and saw the murder charge against him dropped in exchange for admitting to aggravated battery and armed robbery.

Because the plea was blind, Miller’s sentence has not yet been agreed upon. He will be sentenced on the charges to which he pleaded guilty at a hearing July 16.

According to court documents filed earlier in the case, Miller, along with 24-year-old Devin J. Petersen and 51-year-old William P. Linke, is accused of beating 51-year-old Robert Krikie Jr. and hitting him in the head with a rock, which killed him. Krikie’s body was found floating in water March 17, 2020, at the Three Oaks Recreation Area in Crystal Lake.

Petersen appeared in court Friday with his attorney, Thomas Carroll, who said the case is moving toward a disposition.

“We’ve been making some progress,” Carroll said. “We’ve had several meetings with the [state’s attorney’s office] regarding a potential resolution of this case. It is wrapped up in other matters.”

Petersen’s case was continued to July 22, which will come after both Miller’s sentencing and a July 9 hearing for Linke, who received a plea offer more than a month ago from prosecutors that Linke’s defense attorney, Kim Messer, said in court Friday was not satisfactory.

Messer, who represented Linke without her client present at Friday’s proceedings, had prepared motions to compel the prosecution to share reports and records related to the DNA evidence in the possession of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

She also had prepared motions to request about $6,000 in public funds to pay for experts to review the DNA evidence and other discovery items in the possession of the prosecution, noting that her client is indigent.

Consideration of those motions was put on hold so Linke’s defense and the state’s attorney’s office can continue working toward a plea deal over the coming two weeks ahead of his next court date.

Devin Petersen appears in court with Judge Robert Wilbrandt at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center on Friday, June 25, 2021, in Woodstock. Petersen, along with Willima Linke and Michael Miller, was charged in the murder of Robert Krikie at Three Oaks Recreation Area on March 17, 2020. (Matthew Apgar/Matthew Apgar)

McHenry County CourthouseCrystal LakeRobert Krikie Jr.
Sam Lounsberry

Sam Lounsberry

Sam Lounsberry is a former Northwest Herald who covered local government, business, K-12 education and all other aspects of life in McHenry County, in particular in the communities of Woodstock, McHenry, Richmond, Spring Grove, Wonder Lake and Johnsburg.