Man Charged With Murder in Accomplice’s Death - East Idaho News
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Man Charged With Murder in Accomplice’s Death

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GETTY N 030411 Handcuffs?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1334515110274Medioimages/Photodisc/ThinkStock(ROCKFORD, Ill.) — A man accused of breaking into a home in Rockford, Ill., has been charged with murder in the death of his alleged accomplice, who was shot by the home’s resident.

Maurecus Q. Adams, 27, and Troy Deshun Perkins, 26, allegedly broke into a home shortly before 11 p.m. on Jan. 5, armed with a handgun, and demanded money from the resident. But the resident was ready with his handgun, and shot and killed Perkins, police said.

Adams fled on foot and was not found until Thursday, by accident, police said.  Police officers went to Concord Commons, a low-income apartment housing complex in Rockford, looking for someone completely unrelated to Adams’ case on a routine warrant check.

When police arrived, Adams jumped out the window.

“Police arrested him and put him in handcuffs, and then he tried to run away with the handcuffs on but they grabbed him. It’s hard to run away in handcuffs,” said Sgt. John Hoshaw of the Rockford City Police Department.

Adams was charged with first-degree murder. Illinois law allows for criminals to be charged with murder in the death of an accomplice killed during the course of committing a crime.

“If they’re all in a criminal conspiracy together, and somebody gets killed, they’re all responsible,” Hoshaw said. “If there’s a robbery in a bank, and someone is killed in the bank, the guy sitting in the getaway car is responsible and can be charged with murder in Illinois, even if he didn’t know his accomplices were planning on shooting someone.”

Adams is being held in Winnebago County Jail. His bond has yet to be set.

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