Black man sentenced to 71 years for 2006 murder

Derrick Lemon, who as a young boy witnessed his brother being dropped to his death from a public housing high-rise, has been sentenced to 71 years in prison for murdering a relative’s boyfriend at a barbecue in 2006. Lemon, 24, was convicted in July 2010 of killing Illya Glover, who was dating an aunt of Lemon's. Glover had come to the defense of his girlfriend after she was attacked by Lemon at the barbecue, prosecutors said. Cook County Judge Thomas Hennelly sentenced Lemon to 46 years for first-degree murder and a consecutive 25-year prison term for discharging the weapon that killed Glover, Assistant State's Attorney Andreana Turano said. She said Lemon will serve 100% of the 71-year sentence. Glover's family lauded the sentencing as fair. Lemon was just 8 years old in 1994 when he witnessed his 5-year-old brother, Eric Morse, dangled out a window and then dropped from the 14th floor of the Ida B. Wells public housing development. The murderers, Jessie Rankins, then 10, and Tykeece Johnson, then 11, were angry because Eric had refused to steal for them.