Jaydon Emmons
SALINE CO., Ill. - Saline County State's Attorney Jayson Clark has issued a press release a month after a guilty plea of a young man who was shot a couple of weeks ago. However, there's been nothing mentioned about that incident, which came to light in Marion in neighboring Williamson County...and which there's been NO information forwarded from authorities about where or how it occurred.
Instead, Clark has at least issued official information about William Jaydon Emmons' plea and sentencing in Saline.
Clark said that on June 26, 2018, Emmons, 20, of Eldorado, entered a plea of guilty in Saline County Circuit Court to a Class 1 felony charge of Aggravated Possession of Stolen Firearms. Judge Todd D. Lambert sentenced Emmons to 13 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with 2 years mandatory supervised release on the charge, which was Emmons’ first felony conviction. Class 1 felonies are punishable by a term of incarceration from 4 to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The charge against Emmons arose out of an incident in which Emmons was found in possession of several firearms which had been stolen from Gunslingers’ Gun Store. Chief Deputy Ken Clore of the Saline County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation of Emmons’ case. Assistant State’s Attorney, Jason Olson, handled the successful prosecution of Emmons.
That's the end of the press release. According to Illinois Department of Corrections' website, Emmons arrived at Menard yesterday, July 24, which tells us two things: One, that gunshot wound apparently wasn't that serious, and two, Clark apparently wanted to wait til the little crim was safely ensconced behind bars before releasing info, especially considering the gunshot incident.
Emmons' parole date is September of 2024. Interestingly, fines and fees of $15,875 have been paid in full...a remarkable feat in Saline. Emmons' other numerous felony filings came in the wake of the state's attorney's office trying to get him to straighten up by a term in boot camp, but Emmons kept getting arrested for various infractions, including car break-ins and a meth arrest. All of this probably encouraged Emmons to take a plea in the early 2016 Gunslingers case...but doesn't explain why he was out and about following the guilty plea during which time he sustained the gunshot.
If we learn more, we'll post.