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Local woman gets 20 years for soliciting murder, concealing body; Carmen Stonemark sought the murder of her husband

A DeSoto woman will spend up to 20 years in prison for soliciting her lover to kill her husband, and then helping him to dispose of the body.

State's Attorney Mike Carr announced last week that Carmen G. Stonemark, 55, was sentenced to serve 17 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for solicitation to commit murder and three for concealment of a homicidal death.

Stonemark will have to serve at least about 16 years of the total sentence and will face four years of supervised release following her prison term.

The charges stemmed from the Oct. 29, 2017, death of her husband, Frank Stonemark of DeSoto. Carr says Carmen Stonemark solicited James Deese, her lover, to kill Frank Stonemark and then assisted him in hiding the body in a remote area of Jackson County.

They also dismembered the body with a chainsaw and burned the remains. In an effort to conceal her activity, Stonemark falsely reported to police that she had been in an argument with her husband and that he got mad and left home.

Last year, the other man, James M. Deese, pleaded guilty to killing and strangling Frank Stonemark.

Deese is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

Man guilty of stealing car in Carbondale last December

On Monday, an Anna man was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for stealing a vehicle in Carbondale.

Carr says that Brandon M. Leek, 28, pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Leek also faces two years of supervised release.

According to Carr, on Dec. 28, 2018, Carbondale Police responded to a reported vehicle theft in the parking lot area of a shopping center in Carbondale. Leek was seen by a witness stealing a 2003 Buick Regal and driving away.

Police later obtained video surveillance of Leek committing the offense.

Local man gets time for fighting woman, violating order

Carr also announced last week that Kenneth Derossett, 43, of Wolf Lake pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated domestic battery and violating an order of protection.

Derossett was sentenced to serve four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on the domestic battery charge, and one year for violating the order of protection. Both sentences will run concurrently. Four years of supervised release will follow.

Carr says that on Sept. 16, 2018, Derossett went to the victim's residence and engaged in an argument and altercation with her. During the altercation, he twisted her wrist, forced her to the ground, grabbed her by the neck and picked her up off of the ground, choking her.

Following the entry of an order of protection last October, Derossett was found to have been within 1,000 feet of the victim's residence after having been ordered to stay away.

Kenneth Derossett
Brandon Leek