The Attempted Murder of Marcus Toney (Crime Documentary)
- 5 years ago
A Chicago woman was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to life in prison for conspiring with a boyfriend to kill her estranged husband with a gift-wrapped pipe bomb delivered to his home in 2000.
In an emotional voice, Lisa Toney, 45, apologized to her husband's family, professing her love for them. But relatives of the victim, Marcus Toney, were unmoved.
""She doesn't love us,"" said Rita A. Toney, a sister. ""Love doesn't lead you to murder.""
A federal jury in March convicted Lisa Toney of conspiring with boyfriend, Sienky Lallemand, to steal her husband's identity, run up about $200,000 in credit card charges in his name and kill him with the bomb.
Prosecutors Lawrence Beaumont and Christina Egan said Marcus Toney, 37, a City Colleges janitor who lived on Chicago's South Side, had learned about the identity theft and was about to alert authorities when he was killed.
Lallemand, 32, formerly of Dolton, avoided the death penalty by agreeing to cooperate with authorities, but prosecutors didn't call him at Lisa Toney's trial. Lallemand also faces life in prison. No sentencing date has yet been set.
Jason Bucher of Ann Arbor, Mich., pleaded guilty to helping Lallemand assemble the pipe bombs.
Another defendant, Sandra Lavel, admitted harboring Lallemand after the bombing while he was a fugitive and paying for plastic surgery to alter his appearance.
Friends and relatives of Marcus and Lisa Toney filled opposite sides of Judge Charles Norgle Sr.'s courtroom.
Sitting in the witness chair, Rita Toney held up her brother's City Colleges shirt as she said she hoped Lisa Toney would be assigned to work in the prison laundry so she would recall her wrongdoing every time she washed a work shirt.
""I'm asking that she never, ever be allowed in society again,"" Rita Toney told the judge.
She also read a poem written by Alphonso Butler, a friend of Marcus Toney's, who was injured in the bombing.
Lisa Toney, who has been in custody since her conviction, said she prays constantly for forgiveness from her husband's family.
In an emotional voice, Lisa Toney, 45, apologized to her husband's family, professing her love for them. But relatives of the victim, Marcus Toney, were unmoved.
""She doesn't love us,"" said Rita A. Toney, a sister. ""Love doesn't lead you to murder.""
A federal jury in March convicted Lisa Toney of conspiring with boyfriend, Sienky Lallemand, to steal her husband's identity, run up about $200,000 in credit card charges in his name and kill him with the bomb.
Prosecutors Lawrence Beaumont and Christina Egan said Marcus Toney, 37, a City Colleges janitor who lived on Chicago's South Side, had learned about the identity theft and was about to alert authorities when he was killed.
Lallemand, 32, formerly of Dolton, avoided the death penalty by agreeing to cooperate with authorities, but prosecutors didn't call him at Lisa Toney's trial. Lallemand also faces life in prison. No sentencing date has yet been set.
Jason Bucher of Ann Arbor, Mich., pleaded guilty to helping Lallemand assemble the pipe bombs.
Another defendant, Sandra Lavel, admitted harboring Lallemand after the bombing while he was a fugitive and paying for plastic surgery to alter his appearance.
Friends and relatives of Marcus and Lisa Toney filled opposite sides of Judge Charles Norgle Sr.'s courtroom.
Sitting in the witness chair, Rita Toney held up her brother's City Colleges shirt as she said she hoped Lisa Toney would be assigned to work in the prison laundry so she would recall her wrongdoing every time she washed a work shirt.
""I'm asking that she never, ever be allowed in society again,"" Rita Toney told the judge.
She also read a poem written by Alphonso Butler, a friend of Marcus Toney's, who was injured in the bombing.
Lisa Toney, who has been in custody since her conviction, said she prays constantly for forgiveness from her husband's family.