Carly D. Schmittler
WHITE CO., Ill. - One of the individuals charged with aiding White County's escapees has made short work of her case, opting to get it over with instead of trying to work it through a jury trial and possible acquittal.
Carly D. Schmittler, 28, of Grayville, entered a plea today in White County Circuit Court, according to White County State's Attorney Denton Aud.
Aud said that Schmittler, charged with Class 3 felony Attempted Aiding Escape, agreed to 4 years in Illinois Department of Corrections, to be followed by a year of parole.
Aud said Schmittler was also ordered to pay court costs in the amount of $427, none of which has been paid. In admitting her guilt, Aud said "Schmittler admitted that, with intent to commit the offense of Aiding Escape, she performed a substantial step toward the commission of that offense, in that she knowingly attempted to aid Justin Bray, a person charged with the commission of a felony, to escape from the White County Jail, a penal institution, in that she came to Carmi, White County, Illinois at a specific predetermined time and location with a vehicle and attempted to locate Justin Bray to assist Justin Bray in his escape and fleeing from said penal institution."
Lending to this unsurprising disposal of the case is likely the fact that Schmittler was already under probation in a Meth Possession felony dating back to May 10; she entered a plea in that case on June 13 and got 30 months' probation and an order to pay a whopping $2,953 in fines and fees, of which a measly $11 has been paid.
Aud said Schmittler was investigated jointly by members of the White County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police, and U.S. Marshal Service. State’s Attorney Denton Aud represented the State while Schmittler was represented by Carmi attorney Jonathan Turpin. Judge T. Scott Webb was the sentencing judge.
To put things in perspective, we've been told that Schmittler had actually been seeing Bray before he was locked up on federal charges in White; another individual, Wendi Owen, has also been charged with aiding the escapees, and a third individual, Eli Locher, was initially taken in but was let go later with no formal charges being filed. Why? We'll tell you about that in the upcoming print version, on stands in a little over a week, Wednesday, July 18. Be sure your online access is up to day with the e-Edition, or hit this link to find the vendor nearest you.