Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Father's Murder

A Westmont man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for the 2011 murder of his father.

A jury found William V. Clifford III, age 35, formerly of the 800 block of North Pasquinelli Drive, Westmont, guilty of first degree murder Jan. 30, after a four-day-long trial and about two hours of deliberation, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Judge Robert Kleeman handed down the sentence March 23.

Westmont police were called to a fight with injuries May 28, 2011, at Clifford’s home, and officers found William Clifford, Jr., age 64, bleeding from his upper body in a hallway on the third floor of the apartment complex, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation led law enforcement to believe Clifford Jr. went to visit his son, Clifford III, and during the visit the younger Clifford repeatedly stabbed his father around his upper body and his back. The younger Clifford left the scene but returned hours later and was arrested by Westmont police without incident, the state’s attorney’s office reported.

Clifford III must serve all of his 35-year sentence before he’ll be eligible for parole. He will be given credit for the 1,396 days he’s served in custody.

“This case is yet another reminder of the tragic consequences of domestic violence,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin in a statement. “On May 28, 2011, the Clifford family suffered a great loss when the man they all looked up to, William Clifford, Jr., was brutally murdered by his son. This afternoon, William Clifford III, learned that for the murder of his father, he will spend the next thirty-five years of his life behind bars. It is my sincerest hope that with today’s sentencing, the Clifford family will be able to put this horrible chapter of their lives behind them. I would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Helen Kapas, Jim Scaliatine and Jae Kwon for their work on this very sad case.”

ALSO ON PATCH