Alabama man convicted of killing 3 in SW Illinois in 2019

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — An Alabama man has been convicted of killing three people in southwestern Illinois during a multistate crime spree. A jury in Madison County needed less than an hour Friday to return the verdict against Brady Witcher, who faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Shari Yates, her son Andrew “A.J.” Brooks and John McMillian were fatally shot in 2019 at a house in Bethalto, about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. Brittany McMillan, who has ties to the Bethalto area, was with Witcher during the homicides. She pleaded guilty in December. McMillan and Witcher were living in Birmingham, Alabama, before hitting the road. They were arrested in Hazelwood, Missouri, and also had stopped in Tennessee.