Sheley gets 7 years in jail fight

GALESBURG – As Nicholas T. Sheley lay in wait to ambush correctional officers in the Knox County Jail last spring, he had two goals in mind – to hurt someone and to “wreak havoc,” Judge Stephen Mathers said Friday.

Based on that, Mathers sentenced Sheley to three 7-year terms for aggravated battery, and to a year in prison for aggravated assault and criminal damage to property, all to run concurrently.

Sheley has 30 days to file an appeal.

At his sentencing, the 30-year-old Sterling man drummed his fingers slowly on the table and tapped his foot. When Mathers asked him if he wanted to make a statement, Sheley waved his hand and said no.

He has been in Knox County Jail more than a year awaiting trial in the death of Ronald Randall, 65, of Galesburg. He faces the death penalty if convicted. He also is charged in the deaths of seven people in Illinois and Missouri. All were killed in late June 2008.

On April 17, Sheley used magazine pages to cover a security camera in the day-room area by his cell, and the window on the door of his cell, so officers couldn’t see in. After repeated attempts to get him to go back into his cell, officers stormed the room, which is when Sheley threw the metal chair legs and punched guard Sgt. Scott Cordle in the face.

He was taken down with a stun gun and shackled.

Knox County Assistant State’s Attorney Matt Kwacala called Sheley a “very violent man” who “wanted to hurt somebody.”

“This was a cold and calculated and planned act by Mr. Sheley,” Kwacala said. “He has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions.”

To back that up, he pointed to the testimony of Cordle’s testimony. Several minutes after officers shocked and handcuffed Sheley, he told them “I will kill one of you before I leave this f------ county,” Cordle testified Friday.

Sheley also told them that he was “not afraid to die,” Cordle testified.

Knox County Public Defender Jim Harrell balked at the idea that Sheley was not remorseful by pointing to Cordle’s testimony at trial that Sheley apologized to him after the incident.