Romeoville Hammer Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter, Gets 3 Years For Killing Wife

A Romeoville man once jailed on murder charges for allegedly clubbing his wife to death with a hammer pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of involuntary manslaughter and concealing a homicide.

John Sadler, 72, will be sentenced to three years in prison May 21, according to a deal agreed to by his attorney and prosecutors.

Sadler, a retired accountant, caught the murder case when the cops found the 10-day-old corpse of his wife inside their Benzie Circle home in July 2010. He was jailed soon after the grisly discovery and held on a $3 million bond.

But even though he reportedly admitted to police that he hit his 66-year-old wife in the head with a hammer, prosecutors reduced the charges after an autopsy revealed Carol Sadler actually died of a heart attack and not her head wound. She apparently suffered the heart attack mere moments before her husband bludgeoned her with the hammer.

John Sadler’s bond was reduced to $300,000. He promptly posted it and was released from custody.

John Sadler had shot down an earlier deal offered by prosecutors, much to the chagrin of his daughter. The anguished woman shouted from the gallery at John Sadler, telling him, “Take the deal, dad! My God, take the deal!”

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