UPDATED: Bloomington triple murder suspect no stranger to legal system

Posted on July 3, 2018

*Sydney Mays Jr. is also known as Mitch and Syd, and is considered armed and dangerous. (Bloomington Police Department)*

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington man was released on bond from the McLean County Jail on a misdemeanor escape charge three days before he’s suspected of fatally shooting three men and wounding a child on Riley Drive.

Bloomington Police identified Sydney Mays Jr., 21, as the suspect in the June 18 triple murder on the city’s east side, and requested the public’s assistance to find him.

Records at the McLean County Circuit Clerk’s office revealed Mays failed to report to the jail after he had been convicted of driving on a suspended license. The court file showed Mays posted bond and was released.

After the killings, court records show Mays also did not appear for a June 27 court hearing on misdemeanor charges for a domestic disturbance that happened in August of last year. Mays allegedly struck someone with a belt and prevented a second person from calling police. There’s a warrant for his arrest in that case.

Mays pleaded guilty to a 2016 car burglary in return for prosecutors dismissing a more serious residential burglary charge, another burglary count, and unrelated misdemeanor charges of resisting a police officer and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was sentenced to 147 days in jail and ordered to serve two years on probation. Prosecutors tried to revoke that probation when Mays was arrested for allegedly stealing an iphone. Conflicting stories prompted the state’s attorney’s office to dismiss the theft charge.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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