Guilty verdict in county murder case

Granite City woman convicted of first degree murder by Macoupin County jury

Macoupin County State's Attorney, Jordan Garrison, announced last week that 31-year-old Chancey Hutson of Granite City, has been found guilty of first degree murder for her part in a residential burglary that resulted in the death of then 34-year-old Cody Adams of Woodburn which is located just west of Bunker Hill.

Judge Joshua A. Meyer presided over the jury trial. The jury deliberated a little under two hours and returned a verdict of guilty on two counts of first degree murder. According to Macoupin County Circuit Court records, the guilty verdicts are the first guilty verdicts for first degree murder charges in Macoupin County since the 1980s.

At trial the evidence was presented that in the early morning hours on Jan. 1, 2015, Hutson traveled to Woodburn to steal merchandise from the home of Cody Adams. She entered the house wearing a mask and carrying a gun. Adams was shot while he fought off the burglary and then struggled with Hutson.

Adams's mother woke up to the noise of the struggle and fought off Hutson as well. During the struggle, Hutson's mask came off. Hutson was able to flee the home and none of the occupants could initially identify her. The case went cold for approximately two and a half years until a DNA database matched Hutson's DNA to DNA found on the mask.

"Cody Adams spent the last moments of his life fighting off an intruder to protect his mother and his father," remarked Garrison. "We can all hope to have the courage and strength Cody had in his final moments. Ms. Hutson learned that even after years, justice will find you. I would like to thank the Bunker Hill Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff's Department and the Illinois State Police, retired Sgt. Pat McGuire, as well as Assistant State's Attorney Kyle Frericks and former State's Attorney Jennifer Watson, for their work over the last seven years in the pursuit of justice in the name of Cody Adams."

Judge Meyer set the matter for sentencing hearing Oct. 3. Hutson will face a sentence of 20 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.