Wife charged with murder after Illinois judge found shot to death

The woman of an Illinois justice who was recovered changeable to decease earlier this week has now been charged successful transportation with his murder.

Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Valentine, 41, was killed connected Tuesday successful an evident shooting extracurricular a location successful Albion, sitting betwixt St. Louis, Mo. and Louisville, Ky. successful confederate Illinois.

Deputies with the Edwards County Sheriff’s Office responded to the location astir 12:15 p.m., astatine which clip they “observed the assemblage of Michael Valentine laying extracurricular the residence,” authorities constabulary said successful a quality merchandise Thursday.

Megan Valentine, 44, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated artillery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated home battery.

She’s being held astatine the White County Jail and is scheduled to look successful tribunal Friday.

No further accusation was released.

Valentine was successful the 2nd twelvemonth of his 2nd six-year word arsenic a judge. He was archetypal elected to the circuit tribunal successful 2016 aft serving arsenic a state’s lawyer successful Edwards County.

“Judge Valentine was a distinguished jurist who was determined successful the pursuit of justness and his compassion and behaviour earned him the assurance and respect of the radical who appeared earlier him,” the bureau of the Chief Judge of the Illinois Second Judicial Circuit said successful a statement. “He volition beryllium sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his household astatine this hard time.”