A Rantoul man pleads guilty to the murder of his son

Oct. 17 — URBANA — A Rantoul man will be sentenced in November after pleading guilty to the murder of his son in May.

Robert McKinney Sr., 51, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of second-degree murder before Champaign County Judge Randy Rosenbaum.

In exchange for the negotiated plea, the State dismissed two first-degree murder charges, a second second-degree murder charge, an aggravated battery charge, and a possession and use of a firearm charge. .

According to the specific Illinois law cited in the case, this second-degree murder charge means that at the time of the killing, the defendant believed that the circumstances warranted self-defense, but that belief was unreasonable.

Rantoul police were dispatched to the 700 block of East Sangamon Avenue early Sunday, May 26, where they found Robert McKinney Jr., 28, suffering from a gunshot wound.

He was pronounced dead in the intensive care unit at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana that same morning.

According to Assistant Prosecutor Scott Larson, McKinney Sr. told investigators that McKinney Jr. began throwing objects at him during an argument. McKinney Sr. said he felt he had to defend himself and retrieved a gun from the home safe.

A struggle ensued, during which a single shot was fired, which Assistant State’s Attorney En-Chi Lin said hit McKinney Jr. in the head.

When police arrived, McKinney Sr. admitted he shot McKinney Jr. and said his son had mental health issues.

After McKinney Jr.’s death, family members created a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of his burial and funeral arrangements; they received almost $4,000.

Because he had already pleaded not guilty, McKinney Sr. was scheduled for a jury trial on November 18, which has now been canceled.

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 22. McKinney Sr. has been in custody since his arrest.