SALINE COUNTY, Ill. (WSIL) -- Prosecutors presented the first pieces of evidence in 19-year old Mishealia Meredith's death during Tuesday's preliminary hearing.
Saline County State's Attorney Molly Wilson Kasiar called Jason Cope to the stand. Cope is a sergeant with Illinois State Police who joined the case in March following Meredith's disappearance.
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Cope testified that a female witness invited Meredith and Alexander McWilliam, 38, to her home in Harrisburg on the night of March 13.
The woman described McWilliam as being angry at Meredith for allegedly rolling her eyes at him, Cope said. When Meredith denied it, McWilliam shot Meredith once in the head, Cope said.
The woman begged McWilliam for her life, Cope said, and McWilliam forced her at gunpoint to help cover up the crime.
This included putting Meredith's body into two trash bags, and placing her body in the trunk of the woman's car, Cope said.
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Once the body was in the trunk, Cope said McWilliam forced the woman to drive through backroads in an attempt to avoid police.
Cope said they drove north on U.S. Route 45, turned onto Dewey Road in Eldorado and took that road east until they crossed into the rural, gravel backroads of Gallatin County.
When they turned onto North Pool Lane in North Folk Township, McWilliam ordered the woman to turn off the car, Cope said.
McWilliam then carried Meredith's body, with the woman using the flashlight on her phone, and dumped her body in a cornfield 100 yards from the road, Cope said.
McWilliam ordered the woman to drive back to Harrisburg to clean the home and gather any evidence to the crime, according to testimony.
Cope said McWilliam gave the woman a set of gloves to discard and told her to throw the gun out at the fountain in the city park. Police recovered a handgun at the Paul Emery Park fountain, Cope said.
The judge found enough probable cause to advance the case to trial. The final preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 9th at 1p.m. A jury trial is scheduled to begin July 21st at 9 a.m. at the Saline County Courthouse.
If convicted of first degree murder McWilliam faces 25-years to life in prison. The final preliminary hearing is July 9th with a jury trial scheduled to start July 21st.
