Joliet Man Who Tossed Mom's Body Into Canal To Be Sentenced

JOLIET, IL - Six months ago, Will County State's Attorney Spokesman Chuck Pelkie issued a press statement announcing that Black Road resident Shane Smith had pleaded guilty to first-degree murder surrounding the brutal slaying of Smith's own mother back on October 13, 2013. Smith was to be sentenced to prison by Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes on August 22, but that never happened. Days after Smith pleaded guilty in front of the judge and waived his rights to a jury trial, the Joliet man decided to change his mind.

In July, Shane Smith wrote the judge from his cell at the Will County Adult Detention Facility, his place of residence since October 2013. Smith informed Judge Policandriotes that he no longer wanted to be a convicted murder. He wanted the judge to rescind his guilty plea.

"Defendant experiences severe anxiety and disorientation during periods of extremely high stress," Smith wrote the judge over the summer. "Defendant retains that he is not guilty of first-degree murder ... Defendant respectfully requests that the court allow his plea to be withdrawn and that he be allowed his trial by jury."

It's probably no wonder why Shane Smith, a hardened ex-con with past convictions in Will County for armed robbery, aggravated domestic battery and criminal trespass to vehicles, does not want to return to the penitentiary. Fellow prisoners aren't likely to be fond of sharing a cellblock or a prison lunch table with a man convicted of choking his own mother to death and then stuffing her body into a heavy-duty garbage bag like Shane Smith did to Joan Smith, 59, on October 13, 2013, according to authorities.

"The dispute with his mother began when Shane Smith attempted to sneak his wife into the house that evening. Joan Smith told her to leave. Shane Smith left as well, but her returned alone later that evening and began arguing with his mother. During that dispute, he choked his mother to death, placed her body in a garbage bag and drove her to the Brandon Road Lock. He dropped her body in the river where it was discovered downstream several days later," the Will County State's Attorney's press release explains.

At the time of the murder, Shane Smith was living with his mother at her house at 1610 Black Road.

In any event, August, September and October all passed and Shane Smith's murder sentence still had yet to occur in Judge Policandriotes' courtroom.

Finally, on November 2, Will County courthouse security guards brought Shane Smith back into the fourth floor courtroom for a hearing to decide whether Joan Smith's killer could take back his guilty plea.

"Defendant is sworn, and testifies. Defendant's motion to withdraw guilty plea is denied. Matter continued for setting of sentencing hearing. Defendant is remanded," online court records show.

At 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Shane Smith, now 37, is scheduled to return to Courtroom 405 to learn his punishment, finally, for the grisly murder of his mother, a revolting crime that happened more than four years ago.

Main image of Brandon Road Locks via Google Maps; mugshot of Shane Smith via Will County Sheriff's Department, image of Joan via Joliet Patch