Man Murdered Mom And Family Dog Near Joliet: Small-Town Killer Learns Sentence From Kendall Co. Judge

YORKVILLE, IL — Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis issued a press release revealing that 30-year-old first-degree murderer Cody Sales of Plattville was sentenced this week to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Cody Sales killed his 62-year-old mother Nancy Sales and the family's dog back in the summer of 2022.

Located between Route 47 and Grove Road, Plattville is near the expanding boundaries of Joliet's far west side as well as Plainfield and Oswego. Heading into Monday's sentencing, Cody Sales faced 20 to 60 years in prison for the murder conviction.

Joliet Patch previously reported that the murder happened at a house in the 6500 block of Chicago Road. Cody Sales has remained in the Kendall County Jail the entire time, since June 27, 2022.

At Monday's sentencing, Sales received 29 years for the first-degree murder and an additional one year for the aggravated animal cruelty. Each sentence will be served one after another. Sales will be required to serve 100 percent of his time on the first-degree murder charge under Illinois law.

Kendall County Judge Jody Gleason sentenced Sales after hearing victim impact statements from the grieving relatives of Nancy Sales and arguments from the prosecution and the defense.

Weis said he hopes this sentence and the conclusion of the case can give some semblance of justice to the victim’s family: a family that was torn apart by the abhorrent actions of Sales. Actions that resulted in the loss of a mother, a sister, an aunt and a grandmother.

Weis pointed out that both sides acknowledged that Sales' mental illness played a role in the horrific crime, echoing the jury’s finding that Sales was guilty but mentally ill. Sales will be required to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated based on this finding, the prosecutor noted.

Sales was previously found guilty after a three-day jury trial back in November. The trial revealed that Sales had murdered his mother with a hammer in their home. Additionally, he also killed the family dog. Sales had admitted to law enforcement that he had killed his mother, but the defense raised the issue of insanity during trial, according to Weis.

The case was prosecuted by State’s Attorney Weis and Felony Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Phelps. Cody Sales was represented by the Public Defender’s Office.