Second of three charged takes plea deal in death of homeless man found at Three Oaks in Crystal Lake

A 52-year-old man, one of three homeless men charged in the 2020 death of Robert Krikie Jr., who also was homeless, pleaded guilty Thursday to aggravated battery and concealing a homicidal death.

William P. Linke was sentenced to six years in prison, three for the aggravated battery and three for concealment of a homicidal death. He also must serve one year of mandatory supervised release. He will receive credit for the 759 days he has spent in the McHenry County Jail since his arrest.

The remainder of the time will be served at 50% and Linke likely could be released in about 11 months. Because he is homeless and has no income, he will not be required to pay fines, McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt said.

In sentencing Linke, Wilbrandt told him, “I hope you come out of this a better person than you went in.”

In exchange for his negotiated plea, more serious charges of three counts of first-degree murder, robbery and mob action were dismissed. Had Linke gone to trial and been convicted on these charges he could have been sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison.

On March 17, 2020, Krikie’s body was found floating facedown in the lake at Three Oaks Recreation Area in Crystal Lake. Krikie was beaten, bludgeoned and drowned, authorities have said.

The actual writing of the aggravated battery charge Linke pleaded to was amended from saying that he struck Krikie, 57, in the head with a rock, to say that he choked him and placed him in a headlock.

[ From the archive: Family remembers man killed at Three Oaks Recreation area ]

When entering his guilty plea to the concealment charge alleging he put Krikie’s body in the water, he spoke out and said he did not put Krikie’s body in the water.

Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein explained to the judge that the charge, as written, indicates that Linke or someone he is responsible for placed Krikie in the water. Before continuing Wilbrandt asked Linke if he was willing to share the responsibility with the other two who were present during Krikie’s death to which Linke replied, “Yes, your honor.”

At the time of Krikie’s death, Linke was with Michael M. Miller, 35, who pleaded guilty in July to an amended charge of armed robbery and aggravated battery and sentenced to 15 years in prison. The more serious charges of first-degree murder, robbery, mob action and concealment of a homicidal death also were dismissed in Miller’s case.

Devin J. Petersen, 25, also charged in Krikie’s death, currently is in McHenry County Jail awaiting trial. He is charged with first-degree murder, robbery, aggravated battery, mob action and concealment of a homicidal death. He is due in court April 28.

Eisenstein read a letter from Krikie’s ex-wife, in which she wrote that her ex-husband was “a very kind and loving man .... [who] would not hurt anyone.”

“I will always love him,” she wrote. “You took a special person from me.

She called all three men charged in Krikie’ death “trash” and said she hated them. She was aware of the six-year sentence Linke was receiving Thursday, and wrote that she wished he would spend the rest of his life in prison and feel the same pain that Krikie felt when they killed him.

“You deserve the death penalty. That’s what you gave him,” she wrote. “You are a murderer.”

Linke denied that killed Krikie, reading a written statement in court, in which he also apologized to Krikie’s family. He and Krikie were friends and spent many days together “laughing, joking and breaking bread.”

“I lost a friend that day,” he said.

Linke said it was Miller who killed Krikie by beating him and hitting him in the head with a rock. Miller was a stranger to them, he said.

Linke said he was about 25 to 30 feet away up on a hill when the beating happened and called 911. He said he wishes Krikie’s ex-wife could hear the statement he gave to police and to know “I didn’t hurt my friend.”

Linke walked away from Miller after Miller beat Krikie and put him in the water, called 911 and hid the phone from Miller, Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer said after the hearing.

He left the call connected to a 911 operator for 15 to 20 minutes, which ultimately lead police to the scene, Messer said. Police also gathered recorded “incriminating statements” by Miller from the call, she said.

“This one is hard for me because, in my opinion, Mr. Linke should not have been charged,” Messer said. “He was the reason Mr. Krikie’s killer was found. He was a witness, not a participant. But, it is scary when you are charged with murder and you are facing 20 to 60 years in prison. After much discussion we decided this was the best result for him. He understands the family’s anger, he understands it completely.”