Mattoon man sentenced to 58 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his mother
Share and Follow


CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — A Mattoon man has been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison after he admitted in court to killing his mother earlier this year.

Coles County court records show that Douglas Reed, 31, was in court on Tuesday for a status hearing in his case. He had previously pleaded not guilty and requested a trial by jury, but during Tuesday’s hearing, he changed his plea and waived his right to a trial.

He pleaded guilty to one count of murder and, by agreement with the State’s Attorney’s Office, was sentenced to 58 years in prison.

In pleading guilty, Reed admitted to killing his 60-year-old mother, Lori Ames, at her home the morning of Feb. 7. He hit her in the head multiple times with a hammer and then fled Ames’ home in her car.

After police found Ames’ body, it took less than two hours for them to determine Reed was a suspect and to find him in Moultrie County. Officials with the Mattoon Police Department said he confessed to killing his mother.

Reed was formally charged with two counts of murder and one of obstructing justice by destroying evidence. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to one of those murder counts while the other two counts were dismissed.

Having been detained since his arrest, Reed was given credit for the time he’s already spent in custody, but almost three months of credit does little to mitigate the 58-year sentence that awaits him. He will be required to serve 100% of the remaining sentence, meaning he will be paroled at age 89.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Vermont Engineer Resurrects Pay Phones for Complimentary Calls in Low-Cell Service Areas

TUNBRIDGE, Vt. – An electrical engineer by trade, Patrick Schlott has spent…

Florida woman vanishes under 'suspicious' circumstances; car last seen in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A vehicle linked to a woman’s “suspicious” disappearance…

Vermilion County Groups Collaborate to Highlight Local Career and Education Opportunities

DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Danville organizations are collaborating to keep students excited…

Pentagon Removes Marines from Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Pentagon ordered the U.S. Marines to leave…

Sarepta’s Stock Drops Again as Company Halts Gene Therapy Under FDA’s Direction

WASHINGTON – Shares of drugmaker Sarepta Therapeutics continued to fall Tuesday after…

Trump Revisits Long-standing Complaints About Russia Probe Following New Intelligence Report

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump rehashed longstanding grievances over the Russia investigation…

Tripadvisor Honors National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. () – Tripadvisor has recognized the National Museum of…

After a Month-Long Delay in India, British F-35 Fighter Jet Departs, Sparking Memes

NEW DELHI – A British F-35B fighter jet stranded at an Indian…