A Kewanee man accepted a plea deal for the aggravated battery of a Kewanee man, who two teenagers had just stabbed. Justin Kentner was sentenced to 30 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for battering Clifton Parks. On April 1, 2023, the Kewanee Police Department was dispatched to Fairview Homes for a battery. They found Clifton Parks lying in the road, bleeding. Clifton Parks was later declared deceased at OSF Saint Luke Medical Center. According to testimony at the preliminary hearing, Kentner originally told Officer Jacob Lang that he saw the incident but returned to his apartment in Fairview. Kentner later told Detective Andrew Kingdom that he was on top of Clifton hitting him when he noticed a lot of blood. He said he returned to his apartment to wash the blood off him. However, he discarded his bloody clothes when he heard Clifton was dead. He told Detective Kingdom where to find his discarded clothes, and Kewanee Police retrieved the bloody clothes.
Justin Kentner received 30 months in the IDOC, six months of mandatory supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and assessments. He will receive credit for 266 days in the Henry County Jail.
Justin Kentner was originally charged with Aggravated Battery/Public Place (Class 3 Felony) and Obstructing Justice/Destroy Evidence (Class 4 Felony).