A Kane County jury Wednesday found two homeless shelter residents guilty of armed violence for a July stabbing in Aurora, but acquitted them of attempted murder.
Bridget A. Ivanov, 38, and Sean R. Parker Sr., 42, will face minimum 10-year prison sentences for the July 9 altercation outside a liquor store near Galena Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. They fought with a man, and Ivanov stabbed him five times.
At the outset of the three-day trial, their attorney, Kane County Public Defender David Kliment, said Ivanov acted in self-defense, saying the victim tried to sexually proposition her and became violent when she said no.
But two employees of the liquor store disputed the account, and the jury rejected the claim of self-defense, Assistant State's Attorney Dan Carter said. Difficulty in proving their intent probably led to the acquittal on the attempted murder charge, he said.
After deliberating for about an hour Wednesday morning, jurors sent a note to Judge Thomas Mueller asking for a legal definition of intent. Jurors also asked if they could consider a lesser charge than attempted murder. Mueller supplied the definition but wrote back that they had to work with the charges at hand.
At the time of their arrest, Parker and Ivanov gave their addresses as a homeless shelter in Aurora. They have been in custody since their arrest, and Mueller ordered their bond revoked following the jury's verdict.
The judge set Dec. 3 for sentencing.
-- Clifford Ward
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