Crime & Safety
Life Sentence Stands for Arlington Heights Man Who Brutally Murdered His Dad
Matthew Nellessen was convicted of murder after beating his father with a baseball bat and stabbing him with a kitchen knife in 2011.
The life sentence of an Arlington Heights convicted of killing his father was upheld by an state appeals court Wednesday, the Daily Herald reports.
In 2014, a jury found Matthew Nellessen guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his father, George, in 2011. Nellessen was accused of tying his father to a chair and then beating him with a bat before finally stabbing him with a kitchen knife.
During sentencing, the judge did not think Nellessen could be rehabilitated given the brutal nature of his actions, according to the report.
Find out what's happening in Arlington Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
More Patch Coverage of the Matthew Nellessen Case
- Murder Trial of Arlington Heights Man Accused of Killing Father in Attempted Armed Robbery to Begin
- Arlington Heights Man Found Guilty in Brutal Murder of His Father
- Arlington Heights Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Patricide
Find out what's happening in Arlington Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
His lawyers were appealing that ruling, claiming that the life sentence was too harsh a penalty, the report stated. The attorneys cited Nellessen's age at the time — he was 19 at the time of the crime — and his history of nonviolent criminal offenses, the report added.
George Nellessen (right) and Matthew Nellessen (photo via Patch archive)
Like What You're Reading? Stay Patched In!
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
