By Liz Lape
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (25 News) – A jury was selected in Bloomington on Monday for the murder trial of a man who is accused of killing a Peoria teen at a house party in 2022.
22-year-old Tomiyale Anderson, is charged with murder after the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Kanye Stowers in Bloomington on April 8, 2022.
Anderson was arrested and indicted in Chicago in December 2023.
During the hearing on Monday, 14 jurors were selected out of a group of 42. According to 25 News, the group is made up of 10 women and four men.
Some jurors were dismissed as they had concerns they could not be impartial to witness testimonies, with several knowing some of the witnesses personally, or having experienced violent crime themselves.
Six of the potential jurors also expressed concern about serving on the jury, saying that a murder trial made them feel nervous and overwhelmed.
Following jury selection, the prosecutors told Judge Jason Chambers that they needed time to locate one of their key witnesses and asked to begin opening arguments on Tuesday morning. The prosecutors said one of their witnesses was actively avoiding testifying and cannot be located.
According to prosecutors, this man is essential to the case, as he was the only witness they have who, on the night of the shooting, claimed to have seen Anderson with a gun. They said his father told them that he was in the hospital for a week, but law enforcement found no record of the man at any local hospital, including in Peoria. A warrant is now out for that witness.
Sentencing ranges for Anderson were also discussed in court on Monday. If Anderson is found guilty of first degree murder on four counts, he could face 20 to 60 years in prison. If the jury finds he used a gun to kill Stowers, that sentence is increased by another 25 years to natural life.
Anderson’s charge of attempted first degree murder could carry between six and 30 years, and the aggravated discharge of a firearm charge could end with 148 days in jail or four to 15 years in prison, if convicted.
If Anderson is found guilty of first degree murder and one of the other charges, those sentences will need to be served consecutively. Prosecutors also said if he is found guilty of all charges, he could face 71 years to life in prison.
Judge Chambers told the courtroom that the trial could take all week, and maybe extend into next week.
Anderson’s trial continues on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
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