Zachary Shock
HAMILTON CO., Ill. - The young man accused of killing a man in Hamilton County in late September 2016 has entered a plea in that murder case.
Hamilton County State's Attorney Justin Hood announced that Zachary Shock, 24 of McLeansboro, pled guilty to a count of Second Degree Murder today (Tuesday, August 21) and will serve 20 years in Department of Corrections on the charge and 2 years of Mandatory Supervised Release (parole).
He also pled to a count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm. He will serve 11.5 years in Department of Corrections and 2 years of Mandatory Supervised Release consecutive to the 20 year sentence on the Second Degree Murder for a total of 31.5 years in Department of Corrections on that conviction.
Two counts of First Degree Murder were dismissed as part of the plea.
Shock will be given credit for 660 days in custody in White County Jail and pay a $3,300 fine and other mandatory costs.
Shock admitted to shooting the victim, James Berkel, with an SKS rifle on September 30, 2016 at Berkel's residence in McLeansboro.
Information coming in from Denton Aud in White County indicates that Shock - who was apparently the mastermind behind the big June jailbreak from the White County Jail in Carmi - will be appearing tomorrow (Wednesday) morning to take up the multiple charges he's facing in White. We'll keep you posted - be watching, and feel free to opine on our social networking pages or here about the Shock outcome.