Driver in Kid-Kill Wreck Really Likes Talking on the Phone
Convicted of killing his girlfriend's young son in a drunken wreck, Cecil Conner hopes he might get a new trial based on the state failing to fork over recording of his jailhouse phone calls.
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In the year he spent in jail after drunkenly careening into a tree in a wreck that killed his girlfriend's young son, Cecil Conner made nearly 2,000 collect calls.
Now Conner, who was convicted in February of aggravated drunken driving, is pinning his hopes for a new trial on the prosecution's failure to turn over recordings of his telephone conversations.
Judge Edward Burmilla was to hear arguments on whether Conner should get another trial Thursday, but Assistant State's Attorney Debbie Mills asked for and received a postponement so prosecution witnesses can make it to court.
Conner's attorney, Jeff Tomczak, said one of those witnesses will be Michael O'Leary, the warden of the Will County jail.
Conner has been jailed since May 2010. He was arrested after ramming his girlfriend's 1997 Chevy Cavalier into a tree. The girlfriend's 5-year-old son, Michael Langford, was sleeping in the car's back seat and was killed in the crash.
The girlfriend, Kathie LaFond, had been driving. But 40 minutes prior to the crash, Chicago Heights Police Officer Chris Felicetti pulled the car over and arrested LaFond, who was sober but driving without a valid license. Felicetti allowed the drunken Conner to drive off with the young boy in the backseat.
Within two days of her son's death, LaFond had a lawsuit going against Felicetti, Conner and the town of Chicago Heights.
Conner faces up to 14 years in prison on the aggravated drunken driving conviction.
During a brief hearing Thursday, Mills said she determined that Conner made 1,986 telephone calls in the one year and several weeks he's been locked up at the county jail.
Inmates can only call collect from the jail. Calls are capped at 20 minutes, meaning Conner may have spent as many as 662 hours on the phone, or nearly a month's worth of 24-hour days during his year of captivity.
In a previous hearing, Tomczak said many of Conner's calls were made to his former girlfriend, the grieving mother LaFond, who has had a lawsuit going against the jailed man all this time.
Burmilla set Conner's next hearing for July 14.
Peggy
11:26 am on Friday, June 3, 2011
He is guilty and should go to prison and start his sentence. I will never see my grandson again and Cecil Conner willfully took the keys and was talking o Jennifer from the party and lost control of the car and killed my grandson.
Peggy
5:14 pm on Friday, June 3, 2011
I am sorry for the last comment. I am angry at Cecil Conner for not admitting his wrongdoings and facing it like a man. He Cecil committed a crime and needs to face the sentencing for what he has done. It has been one year and this dragging out is really getting old and my daughter Kathie is wanting to move on. It has been very hard for Kathie and her family.
Juvenal
9:27 pm on Friday, June 3, 2011
This is not really journalism. The author shows a clear bias against Conner and LaFond. Filing a lawsuit right away is prudent as it prevents the cops from "losing" evidence that would incriminate them....
Peggy
11:16 am on Saturday, June 4, 2011
as you hear with the phone calls conner made he was talking to Jennifer from the party when he loss control of the car and crashed. No one made Cecil do anything he did it willfully and now he has to pay the cost of his negligence that lead us here today and step up to being a man instead of hiding behind his mommy. I hope he never sees outside again my grandson can't
Peggy
11:20 am on Saturday, June 4, 2011
Cecil is only grabbing for something that won't happen for 10 years so get over it and move on. so he made phone calls what to tell how he killed michael and still in denial today. I truly believe the Officer and Kathie over anything Cecil Conner says. If cecil doesn't remember anything then how does he remember some of the things that happened that night like taking the keys and walking around the car the front mind you and what about the phone call he made when he took off. He remember's he just doesn't want to serve the time for his crime he feels he didn't do it but he was the driver with a child not his. what a loser
Vincent Bennett
12:00 pm on Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Idiots make stereo-typical judgements against biased reporters. Why is it that when DUI cases normally go to court is there the solid foundation of dash board video and audio evidence, but in a case as media attention grabbing as this there is NONE? I hope she is compensated for this regardless of who shifts blame. Any police officer who does a traffic stop at 4am normally questions and runs the DL's of both drivers. Shame on the police for their blatant denials. A little boy is dead and there are still many questions the police need to address... Vincent Bennett Antioch, Illinois