Menard inmate blinds cellmate in eye gouging incident

<span>It is a horrific tale more appropriate for Halloween fiction.</span>

<span>Menard Correctional Center inmate Tony Deere, 36, has been charged with aggravated battery after allegedly gouging both of fellow inmate Vincent Hudson's eyes out of their sockets in an Oct. 13 attack.</span>

<span>"It was two guys who were not nice guys, but nobody deserve to have their eyes gouged," said Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker, who said it doesn't appear Deere used any type of a weapon to commit the crime.</span>

<span>The charges, filed in Randolph County Court, state that the 43-year-old Hudson - whose listed offenses in the Illinois Department of Corrections system include murder, criminal sexual assault, attempted murder and robbery - was left permanently blinded by the attack.</span>

<span>"From my understanding, he was transferred to a medical center in St. Louis to try and save the eyes, but they couldn't," Walker said.</span>

<span>The aggravated battery charge is a Class 1 felony, but Walker has filed a notice to increase that to a Class X felony - punishable by up to 30 additional years behind bars - if Deere is found guilty.</span>

<span>Deere is already serving 93 years for a variety of offenses, including murder, armed robbery and possessing contraband in a correctional facility. He has a parole date of May 24, 2054, when he would be 75 years old.</span>

<span>Walker said a motive for the crime has been established, but did not elaborate on what that is. </span>

<span>"I don't feel comfortable elaborating on that," said Walker, when asked about the motive behind the attack. "It's one of those things that when it will come out, it will make you shake your head."</span>

<span>Walker also declined to comment on speculation that a dispute over noodles was part of the reason.</span>

<span>"I can neither confirm nor deny that," he said.</span>

<span>Walker did tell the Herald Tribune he believes that Deere and his victim were cellmates.</span>

<span>"An inmate attacking another inmate at Menard is not out of the ordinary, but the extent of the injury is," he said. "Other than murder, this is as serious as it gets in my mind."</span>

<span>Walker said the next step in the case is for Circuit Judge Richard A. Brown to appoint an attorney for Deere.</span>

<span>"Typically, with DOC cases there's no rush because they're not going anywhere," Walker said, when asked when a preliminary hearing could be scheduled in the case. "It could be 45 to 60 days."</span>

<span>Menard remained on lockdown as of Monday morning. It had previously been on partial lockdown effective Oct. 7 due to a dispute between two inmates and a lockdown was issued from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6 following the death of inmate Desean J. "Baby" Larue.</span>

<span>Randolph County Coroner Randy Dudenbostel previously said that death does not appear suspicious.</span>