By Howard Packowitz
A former Bloomington High School Spanish teacher has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her husband last fall.
31-year old Sarah Mellor’s guilty plea in Woodford County Court came on the day jury selection was start in her murder trial.
Her lawyer, Stephanie Wong, is expected to ask for probation instead of prison for Mellor, who stabbed her husband, Mark Mellor, in the chest while camping in rural Woodford County near Carlock last October.
Wong planned to argue self-defense, but Mellor accepted prosecutors offer to admit that she unreasonably believed self-defense was necessary.
The Bloomington woman is to be sentenced in July. Wong claimed her client should receive probation because she is not a threat to the community. Mellor faces a maximum 20-years in prison.
Had she been convicted of first-degree murder, Mellor faced a mandatory prison sentence of between 20-and-60-years.
Mellor is jailed in Eureka on $1 million bond, meaning she would have to post $100,000 to be released before sentencing. Wong will ask Judge Michael Stroh on Wednesday to reduce Mellor’s bond, but State’s Attorney Greg Minger indicated he will object to the bond reduction.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
