Pantagraph.com | News | Beaman posts bond, released 13 years after conviction in ISU murder

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Voice of Reason2 wrote on Jul 11, 2008 8:07 AM:

" The Cats: LOL I guess if you keep putting words in my mouth that someday I'll be as confused as you are.
You have not proved anything you claim and cannot because they did not happen.
If you still believe they lied sue them.
Let's see you put your accusations to actions.
Or will you just do nothing?

LOL "

The Cats wrote on Jul 10, 2008 9:22 PM:

" To all...Voice of Reason (?)...has finally admitted what most of us have been saying all along. His quote, in the comments section of the Beaman Case (yes he posts about the arena everywhere) follows...

"They said the Coliseum would operationally pay for itself with no tax increase"...

Voice has admitted what has been published in the paper at least 5 times and quoted to him literally 100's of times (although he keeps demanding that we prove it again). It certainly has not "operationally paid for itself" as we have to make up the entire bond payment almost every month and taxes have risen to pay for the budget shortfall. While Voice will again insist something about a contract with the management company it is simply a ruse on his part. No one who understands accounting can possibly think that argument is valid. "...would operationally pay for itself without a tax increase". An unambiguous statement from Voice. Thanks for finally agreeing with the majority on here and in the city...we were lied to and that we pay for this arena, in taxes (not arena revenue), every month. "

The Cats wrote on Jul 10, 2008 9:08 PM:

" To Voice...again with the arena. You state the case (that is being made by a clear majority of posters on here) perfectly..."They said the Coliseum would operationally pay for itself with no tax increase"...it has not. We (the taxpayers) are on the hook for the bond payment every month and taxes have risen. Thanks for finally agreeing with me. "

Fishpoop wrote on Jul 9, 2008 1:42 PM:

" so far my design is a fish swiming in the water with a poo that has Yoders name... below it says wow someone stinks in this picture! "

Fishpoop wrote on Jul 9, 2008 1:40 PM:

" OK folks we are going to have a fund raiser for my nomination and having signs made.... let's say all next week you all name the bar and fishpoop will be there!!!!! "

Voice of Reason2 wrote on Jul 8, 2008 7:45 AM:

" To Anchor; How about you taking your own advice? Pretty sure you don't decide what is discussed. "

anchor wrote on Jul 7, 2008 10:14 PM:

" Wow...soo many psudo-lawyers it is sickening. Why not stick to things you really know instead of your law-and-order understanding of our legal system. Thanks. "

FollowTheConsitution wrote on Jul 7, 2008 11:40 AM:

" Great Responsibility:

You're joking, right??? The defense suppressed evidence? A polygraph is NOT evidence and it is not suppressing anything. You are confusing this with SELF INCRIMINATION! Why would anyone want to incriminate themself? Based on your logic you are saying the defense is suppose to prive they are not guilty! WRONG! It is up to the prosecution to prove guilt beyond a shadow of doubt! By the prosecution suppressing that evidence they were concealing that shadow of doubt and denying the defendant his constitutional right to a FAIR trial!

Is that would YOU would want to happen to YOU if you were ever accused of something? To have evidence suppressed that could clear you, especially if you knew you were not guilty? "

Voice of Reason2 wrote on Jul 7, 2008 8:21 AM:

" To Cats: The contract is clear and the Coliseum is doing exactly what it states. ‘Enron’ accounting? LOL Do you even know what that means? This is no where close to what happened to Enron. If you were ‘lied’ to as you state, then a crime was committed as I’ve stated. Why haven’t any of you naysayers followed up on that? They said the Coliseum would operationally pay for itself with no tax increase, and the last few months it has as agreed. Read the contract. The bond debt was always the responsibility of the city as it is with 5000 buildings just like this one across the country. Same old rhetoric, no facts to back it. "

The Cats wrote on Jul 4, 2008 11:07 AM:

" To "Pete 12"...a unanimous Supreme Court ruled. Why have you not answered my question to you about whether you believe in our system of justice (and with it our constitution)? "

The Cats wrote on Jul 4, 2008 11:04 AM:

" To Voice...you are very confused. This is a post about Beman...not the arena. As to insults you throw them you need to accept them. As to the arena...the posts that follow every article clearly show that I am in a solid majority of people who are angry at being lied to by our city government and who also want real accounting for the place...not the Enron accounting that is being furnished to us now. BTW what "facts" have you used to refute the concept that the city government said the arena "would pay for itself...with no tax increase"? The dates those comments were printed in the Pantagraph have been quoted many times. I missed your factual refutation of those comments. "

Voice of Reason2 wrote on Jul 2, 2008 3:06 PM:

" To Isabelle: What is funny is that only in america doesn't see the irony in the fact that their posts usually prove the dumbing of America continues. LOL
Some people should talk less and listen more. "

isabelle wrote on Jul 2, 2008 1:46 PM:

" ONLY IN AMERICA

Will you please just quit? I'm all for you posting here and sharing your opinions, but please quit accusing some unseen force of "dumbing" us all. First, that classic signature make YOU look dumb. Second, it demeans this conversation. This is a place for debate, go to the bars if you want to sit around and complain about how dumb everyone is. "

Voice of Reason2 wrote on Jul 1, 2008 8:03 AM:

" To Pete12: Cats and some others are just upset with me because I took away their little "Hate the Coliseum" bandwagon by applying facts. LOL It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. "

pete12 wrote on Jun 30, 2008 9:28 PM:

" To Voice of Reason 2: I couldn't have said it better myself. That's why I chose not to respond to those infantile comments from CATS. This is a place to voice your opinions not to berate the other posters. "

voice of reason2 wrote on Jun 30, 2008 7:38 AM:

" To The Cats: Ironic that all 3 of your posts are nothing but an attempt at insults and trying to show some sort of intelligence that your posts continually prove you lack. I know it must be sad to lose a debate you so clearly wish to win regarding the Coliseum, but facts are not on your side. Your jealousy is obvious with your continued attacks on my posts with nothing but childish nonsense. Let the adults talk huh? "

The Cats wrote on Jun 27, 2008 11:11 PM:

" To "Voice" this is not about the arena over which you clearly obsess. Get over it, you are in the minority when it comes to that discussion. You are clearly our of your league in this discussion as well, since it has nothing to do with the arena and you offer nothing to move the discussion forward. BTW why do you always insult those who disagree with you? Insults just prove you completely lack the ability to sway a discussion and prove someone wrong with facts. Your insults do not hide, but rather point out, your lack of intelligence. They are also not even creative. Give it up... "

The Cats wrote on Jun 27, 2008 11:03 PM:

" To "Great"...this has nothing to do with a polygraph which is inadmissible in court due to it's unreliability. According to the unanimous supreme Court he was NOT the prime suspect. Read the articles about this case to gather the information you need in order to not make yourself look foolish with your posts. "

The Cats wrote on Jun 27, 2008 11:01 PM:

" To "pete 12" do you not believe in our legal system? A unanimous court reversed the conviction due to a prosecutor who lied. I hope you are never in a position where some dishonest prosecutor decides you are guilty (event hough you clearly are not) and then makes a conviction happen. I would suggest you move to Iran...I hear once you are convicted you are just shot...regardless of whether the whole thing was a sham or not. Obviously you think that is the correct legal system. How foolish the posters on here who think we should just ignore what has been done to this man. Do you think that all of those released from death row due to DNA exonerations should just have been executed? What fools. "

pete12 wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:53 PM:

" I am with dman.......a convicted murderer is out of jail. Mr. Yoder is just doing his job. Don't you think there is a reason numerous appeals have been turned down?? Mr. Beaman did a pretty good job of trying to cover his tracks.....making sure he had a bank receipt dated on the day of the murder, having a neighbor look at the odometer of his car. Considering the fact that the time of death is approximate he could easily have made the drive here and back within the period of time. You can make it to Rockford driving the speed limit in less than 2 hours for those of you who have never driven it. On the upside, I am glad to see that he has done something productive with himself in prison. "

michelle24 wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:05 PM:

" I can't wait to see the "fishpoop" for States Attorney signs! Bill Flick, are you reading this? LOLOL! "

c.a.t.s. wrote on Jun 27, 2008 4:36 PM:

" You mush be right. lmao "

T wrote on Jun 27, 2008 4:02 PM:

" Just another example of how the people of CIL ar emore interested in a conviction vs the truth. It's not just Yoder folks "

Great Responsibility wrote on Jun 27, 2008 3:53 PM:

" For those screaming about suppressed evidence: keep in mind that the defense also suppressed a Polygraph test that was intended to clear Alan. Apparently after he took it, they decided that it wouldn't help their case and might hurt it. It is my understanding that they also refused to take a polygraph for the prosecution.

I'm not saying that condemns him. I'm just saying that the prosecution is not the only party involved with the first trial being imperfect.
It's foolish to NOT try the prime suspect of a Murder.
A lot of people here are speaking out of school. Everyone here who is saying that they know whether this happened or not is either full of it or should be volunteering to be a witness for either the prosecution or defense. "

FollowTheConsitution wrote on Jun 27, 2008 3:18 PM:

" flex remmington wrote on Jun 26, 2008 4:41 PM:
" and how is a guy who has spent the last 15 years in prision supposed to come up with $25,000? "

Um, his parents posted the $25K bond! "

Sweetcheeks wrote on Jun 27, 2008 3:15 PM:

" dman:
I seriosuly doubt he will get a conviction due to the other suspect. I drive back and forth to Iowa a lot and even I who is new to this state knows how long it takes to get from Rockford to Bloomington. With the supression of evidence the state now has an even tougher case than it did the first time. "

Country Boy wrote on Jun 27, 2008 3:08 PM:

" You have my vote fishpoop! I could probably go into Danvers and scrape up another 200 or so at the bar on a Saturday night... "

isunormalil wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:56 PM:

" dman, will you and yoda pay for the trial if Alan is found not guilty? I am tired of working hard for politicians like Yoder acting as though they have free reign with the states checkbook. The people of this state need to impeach all of the corrupt politicians from Rod to Yoda! "

JulesBo wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:46 PM:

" Alan wrote me from prison a few years ago, detailing his alibi and how impossible it would've been for him to get to Normal and back in the ridiculously short time the prosecution contends he did. I never believed Alan was capable of harming a fly--he was a lover, not a fighter! Jennifer worked with me on the IWU paper when she attended there briefly, so I'll always remember her as a pretty, friendly girl who loved rock 'n roll. Whomever killed her (and I don't believe John Doe could've either) snuffed out a bright light, and someday--one way or another--they will pay. "

Sweetcheeks wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:45 PM:

" Fishpoop:
We do have a fan club as declared by Michelle lol we need more members and wella instant DA campagne group lol "

dman wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:34 PM:

" I'm gonna give Yoder the opportunity to put a convicted murderer away for the second time, before I vote for fishpoop. "

Sweetcheeks wrote on Jun 27, 2008 2:00 PM:

" Hey I will vote for Fishpoop also. Where is my yard sign? lol "

2448 wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:02 PM:

" I never thought that he comitted this crime. McLean County really bites when it comes to their legal system. I'm so glad I don't live there any longer. "

fishpoop wrote on Jun 27, 2008 11:22 AM:

" alright I am well on my way with the votes!!!!! "

Boston wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:54 AM:

" I signed a petition for Mr. Yoder's candidacy and voted for him, but never again! I was here when Mr. Beaman was first tried and followed the case very carefully. The travel timeline between here and Rockford was unrealistic. i have never been able to travel between the two cities that quickly. In addition, why was the other suspect never named but just called John Doe? Does anyone really believe that Northwestern University would be involved if they thought that he were guilty?

Come on, Bill Yoder, do everyone a favor and don't retry him. How about saving us taxpayers some money.

Good luck, Alan, and my sympathies to the Lockmiller family. "

JimmyChooGirl wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:19 AM:

" Fishpoop for DA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If this man is guilty, he derserves what he has gotten and more. BUT from the reports I've read, the comments I've heard and the people I've talked to who were around when this happened, I don't think he is guilty. And it's so sad his life has been taken from him. I sincerely hope that the truth will come out in the next trial. "

The Peanut Gallery wrote on Jun 27, 2008 10:02 AM:

" to dancinggirl who wrote on Jun 25, 2008 7:49 PM:

" Yoder won't try this case. Read his comments carefully, because he will "investigate" and find a reason that the case can not be proved. wait and see "

You may be correct. If you read the Supreme Court's opinion [go to their web site for the full text], the defense [and, perhaps, the State] will now be allowed and required to present evidence concerning 'John Doe'. This will make the State's case much weaker, since the State argued at trial that Beaman was the only conceivable suspect. That argument is no longer viable. "

just wants justice wrote on Jun 27, 2008 9:13 AM:

" Once again, Yoder just wants convictions and incarcerations, not justice. This conservative county has acted this way for decades - thus the original botched Beaman trial. I will bet you all know innocent people who have gotten in trouble in McLean County and forced to plead guilty. Yoder does not ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt and drop their charges (except for his friend the mayor of Stanford). Pretty soon everyone will be a felon, or at least have a criminal record. It is my understanding that some very competent people have wanted to run against him, but the Republican party does not want dissent within its ranks. Go figure. "

Not so Political wrote on Jun 27, 2008 9:11 AM:

" If he is not convicted again, does the county have to pay for his 1/2 million dollars in lost wages, pay for him to complete his education, give him or help him find a job? "

voice of reason2 wrote on Jun 27, 2008 9:10 AM:

" To Only In America: Actually I only know what the Supreme Court said about the evidence being so weak that he’s a free man today. My crystal ball shows that you are proof the ‘dumbing’ continues so it mush be working. Let the adults talk huh? "

junobeagle wrote on Jun 27, 2008 9:08 AM:

" Beaman has another shot to prove his innocense, good luck to him.
We owe him so much for destroying his life. Next, how about doing the same for Whalen, he's innocent too. Pelo isn't the only corrupt one around! "

Chickster wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:44 AM:

" I am so happy he is out - I never did think he did that! I hope everything turns out well for him. "

voice of reason2 wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:26 AM:

" To cats: Again your facts are as accurate as usual. 150K is 'crap' pay? You still never answer the question: Why do you complain about the Coliseum but not the other entertainment venues paid for by tax dollars by the city? I don't golf, but I don't consider the money spent on them as waste. Unlike you, I'm not a selfish person who thinks it's all about what I want. Sentences only need one period at the end, and begin with a capitol letter. Ask any third grader. "

????????????? wrote on Jun 27, 2008 8:18 AM:

" just want everyone to remember...Yoder had nothing to do with this case. i remember when Beamans case was news around here. that case stunk then and it stinks just as bad now. mr Yoder..have all your ducks in a row on this one,your career is counting on it. a few years down the road...will we be doing this again with the convicted rapist??? "

Greed wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:28 AM:

" More injustice done to this young man by the justice system in McClean County. Reminds me of the money wasted trying PeggyAnn Milton. I won't be voting for Yoder. It is too bad prosecutors are immune from criminal and civil prosecution for wrongdoing. "

Rivers wrote on Jun 27, 2008 7:25 AM:

" mav396: in regards to the Lockmiller family, all I can think about is that there is the potential for a murderer on the loose! If the pantagraph knows about this 'other person', what's the status of him/her now? Running for Brazil or sitting tight? In prison for something else? I can't believe there's some privacy law since the media will basically hound anyone suspected of anything (i.e. Richard Jewell). However, it's not that you hear very little about the 'real killer', you hear nothing! Does this person exist? The Innocence Project seems to think so, why don't they let some info out on it? All seems strange to me. This is not about Alan Beaman, but about why nothing on this other 'person of interest'? "

dman wrote on Jun 27, 2008 6:35 AM:

" a convicted murderer gets released, and all you guys can do is whine about Yoder.
funny, this morning I don't feel as safe as I did yesterday "

Luther Billis wrote on Jun 27, 2008 12:50 AM:

" Superlative news to end my day. Alan, thank God you are finally free! Those of us that have supported you these many years will continue to stand by you in the future! "

bushIQis6 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:58 PM:

" to CATS: "no one runs against yoder because the pay is crap"..... are you kidding me? where else can you get paid $150000 to not go to the office and not work? yoder doesn't run the office, he is never even in the office. usually he is out at some conference on the taxpayer's dime. he never returns calls or messages and he has set that as a standard for every one else in his office. i'm shocked nobody wants to run for his do nothing job. "

4mama wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:40 PM:

" isunormalil - we already have someone lined up to run against him - FISHPOOP!!
I can't wait to see the yard signs!

Lockmiller was killed the semester before I graduated. It was sure sad. Beaman's video was heartening to watch. I hope he gets repaid $$ for the years he lost if he truly is innocent. Might not get back the years, but would help with the future. And yes, I know that the money would come out of my pocket. "

beerslinger wrote on Jun 26, 2008 9:18 PM:

" fishpoop . "

Not so Political wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:26 PM:

" bend over tax payers, the second trail will cost more then the first. if they can not get it right the first time they will screw it up the second time. "

isunormalil wrote on Jun 26, 2008 7:46 PM:

" I hope the democrats line someone up to run against Yoder. I will work for free to help elect the candidate. "

michelle24 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 7:43 PM:

" WoW, I have the chills. I'm thrilled Alan is out, and I hope they finally find the person responsible for this crime. Have a big ole steak, and party hardy! "

redhead52 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 7:17 PM:

" I am happy to hear he is getting a chance to be on the street again. I never felt he was guilty. the sad part is he is now an ex con even if the conviction doesn't stand. You can't come back easily from 15 years behind bars. Good luck to the Beaman family helping him readjust. It won't be easy. My sympathies to the Lockmillers too. It has to be horrible having this all brought up again. "

GrnEggsNham wrote on Jun 26, 2008 6:57 PM:

" I also worked the downtown area at that time and NEVER thought he was guilty either ...... good luck finding the REAL killer! "

C.A.T.S. wrote on Jun 26, 2008 6:09 PM:

" no one runs against yoder because the pay is crap.. most use the job as a stepping stone to a judges seat.. "

ONLY IN AMERICA wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:59 PM:

" To: voice of reason2- Boy I'm glad you know so much about the case and what a jury would rule on.... maybe you should quit your full-time job and do palm reading or fire up the crystal ball buisness in McLean County.

THE DUMBING OF AMERICA CONTINUES DAILY !!! "

C.A.T.S. wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:40 PM:

" to voice of reason2: i see where your priorities are. its ok to waste taxpayer money on the arena but not on a murder trial.. you crack me up.. "

mds1 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:39 PM:

" I too think Beaman didn't commit this crime. I've lived in this area for 30 years and I remember this case fairly well. I've always wondered why the other suspect wasn't questioned more. He was actually a more viable suspect. I think he may have been a current boyfriend, as opposed to Beaman who was an ex-boyfriend. I remember at the time thinking they hadn't investigated the other suspect enough. I hope the truth comes out, if in fact, it will bring new evidence to the court room, evidence that shouldn't have been suppressed. "

Dymz wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:36 PM:

" I lived in Normal when she was murdered and during his trial. Obviously the Internet between 1993-1995 was not as ubiquitious as it is today or even in it's current form for that matter. I can't recall what I knew about the facts of the case back then, but what I do remember is he seemed to be pretty cocky. His long hair, always smoking a cig, strutting into court with his lawyer? His attorney(s) dropped the ball both inside and outside of the court room in my opinion. He seemed to me to be a stupid and very arrogant kid, but not a killer. His attitude and the way he carried himself is what convicted him. You better swallow your pride and learn to be humble if you are on trial for murder in Mclean County. Whether you did it or not. "

Dave wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:33 PM:

" For Great Responsibility: Wouldn't the fact the jury wasn't allowed to know about another suspect be new evidence? "

woo wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:04 PM:

" I do feel for the Lockmiller family but i dont and never have believed he did it. Ive never met him but it all just dont add up for him to been able to do it!! I would like to hear from the lockmiller family to see how they feel about the whole thing and if they are 100% confident that he did this or is their doubt. If their is the least bit of doubt dont we owe it to them to look at this other suspect. After all if weve put the wrong person is prison and i believe we have we are not only wronging mr. Beeman and his family but also the Lockmiller family. To the Lockmiller family, I truly am sorry about your loss. I do know how you feel, My 4 year old step daughter was shot and murdered 10 years ago and the pain never goes away but we owe it to everybody to be 100% sure we have the right guy!! May God bless both family's "

Kevin wrote on Jun 26, 2008 5:04 PM:

" always thought he didn't do it. time table just doesn't match up "

MISSterious wrote on Jun 26, 2008 4:57 PM:

" Great Responsibility: The "existing evidence" you speak of was suppressed because the Prosecution didn't want to have to admit during trial that there was another viable suspect for this murder. The existing evidence is not proof that points to Beaman as the person that committed the murders. And, the existing evidence shows that it was highly improbable for Beaman to have had the time to drive from Rockford to Normal, kill the victim, and drive back up to Rockford - there was evidence that place Beaman in Rockford around the time of the killing, making it unlikely he'd have had enough time to commit this crime. A lot of evidence was suppressed because Prosecutors didn't want the jury to know, because Prosecutors just wanted someone, ANYONE, to go down for this crime so they could give themselves another "win". "

flex remmington wrote on Jun 26, 2008 4:41 PM:

" and how is a guy who has spent the last 15 years in prision supposed to come up with $25,000? "

Great Responsibility wrote on Jun 26, 2008 3:37 PM:

" I can't believe how many people are dead against putting a murder suspect on trial. Especially when the reversal was based on arguable solidity of existing evidence rather than new evedence that clears his name or indicates another's guilt. "

michelle24 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 3:07 PM:

" I'm all about common sense! May I introduce State Attorney FISHPOOP! Do us proud! :) "

mav396 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:14 AM:

" Has anyone else caught on that this has only been about Beaman and NOT about the Lockmiller family? Has there been any outreach to the family that thought their daughter's killer was behind bars?

With Lee Enterprise's connection to Decatur, I would have expected at least a "the Lockmiller family has not commented". "

isunormalil wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:12 AM:

" I was told by a high ranking official from the McLean County Police Dept. that Yoda's office has made it clear he will not handle any ordinance violations regarding the smoking enforcement law.

I guess he is a special States Attorney. He enforces the laws he likes. "

MISSterious wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:12 AM:

" dancinggirl: I like your optimism, but here's another quote from the article: "McLean County State’s Attorney Bill Yoder said this week he expects to have a second trial in the case." "

MISSterious wrote on Jun 26, 2008 10:11 AM:

" hehehehee.....A vote for FishPoop is a vote for common sense! "

fishpoop wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:30 AM:

" heck I will run against him, I have no other dealings then going through divorce court and traffic court, but I have to be able to do a better job then him!!!! VOTE FOR FISHPOOP!!! "

voice of reason2 wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:20 AM:

" If he retries this case he will lose. Hopefully he is smarter than that to waste more taxpayers money. But with nothing but taxpayer money to lose, he probably will retry it out of spite. "

sweet_gridle wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:14 AM:

" It really doesn't matter if all of Mclean County doesn't like Yoder, he is going to be the state's attorney again because there isn't anyone running against him. This has been an issue for a long time, and yet there isn't anything anyone can do. "

Sweetcheeks wrote on Jun 26, 2008 8:09 AM:

" I was not living here to vote him in but I will be here to vote against him. "

isunormalil wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:34 PM:

" I'm likely like a lot of other people to vote against Yoder. He might as well not run again...because the people are struggling in this state with their finances and Yoder is spending money foolish. "

dancinggirl wrote on Jun 25, 2008 7:49 PM:

" Yoder won't try this case. Read his comments carefully, because he will "investigate" and find a reason that the case can not be proved. wait and see "

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