Suspect arrested and now faces charges in 2019 Peoria homicide
A suspect was arrested Wednesday on first-degree murder charges in a 2019 shooting death in Peoria. A day later, the same man was sentenced to 80 years in prison for first-degree murder in a different slaying, in 2018.
Lionell L. Harris was held Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and home invasion, the Peoria Police Department said in a Thursday news release. Harris, 31, was already in custody at the Peoria County Jail on unrelated charges.
On Feb. 6, 2019, police responded to a residence on West Thrush Avenue to check the welfare of an adult male. Officers found a man with an apparent gunshot wound. He was identified as 30-year-old Michael Shipley and pronounced dead at the scene.
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Shipley was found on the main floor of his home at 907 W. Thrush Ave. There were signs of forced entry but no obvious signs of a struggle, police said then, adding Shipley was shot at relatively close range. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said later that Shipley was shot from the front and that he showed no defensive wounds, which could have indicated a struggle.
On Thursday, Harris was sentenced to 80 years in prison for the shooting death of Daryl Keller, 36, on Nov. 19, 2018, in South Peoria, the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office said in a news release. Harris was convicted of first-degree murder on Oct. 27 in that case. He will have to serve 100% of the sentence, the release said.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Suspect faces charges in 2019 Peoria homicide
