Ford Heights man found not guilty of Steger attempted murder

A jury found a Ford Heights man not guilty of the attempted murder of a man in Steger two years ago, but he remained jailed after a judge found him in contempt for allegedly saying, “Bye [expletive],” on his way out the door, court records show.

Following a three-day trial that began Tuesday, Marvin Keys, 44, was found not guilty of the charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and unlawful possession of a weapon by felon.

The jury began deliberations at 12:50 p.m. on Thursday and reached their verdict about 2:20 p.m. the same day, court records show.

The charges against Keys stemmed from an incident that occurred on Oct. 17, 2020, that involved him and 32-year-old man on East 35th Street in Steger.

Keys was arrested and jailed Dec. 3, 2020, after prosecutors charged him with firing a gun at the 32-year-old and wounding him, according to former Steger Police Chief Kevin Shaughnessy. The 32-year-old man suffered three gunshot wounds but survived.

Shaughnessy said Keys’ arrest was the result of a joint investigation between Steger police and Illinois State police.

Keys’ attorney, David Sotomayor, said that the alleged victim never saw who fired a gun at him.

“There was enough doubt there as to who the shooter was, and the jury made right decision,” Sotomayor said.

Sotomayor also said there was no physical evidence to link his client to the shooting.

Representatives from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Will County Judge Dan Rippy found Keys in direct criminal contempt when he said, “Bye [expletive],” as he walked out of the court room, according to court minutes in the case.

Keys was detained by Will County sheriff’s deputies. He’s scheduled for a July 19 hearing on the contempt issue.