Steeples’ status pretrial, jury trial dates set

Amanda Wilkinson, Online Editor

A status pretrial and a jury trial were set Monday during a status trial for Larry Steeples, a man facing first-degree murder charges.

Steeples, 52, will have a status pretrial on July 28 and a jury trial at 9 a.m. on Oct. 6.

Steeples’ attorney, Lupita Thompson, said at the status trial she was still receiving evidence and there are still witnesses that have not been interviewed.

Two witnesses, one in East Moline and one in Mt. Vernon, have yet to be interviewed, Thompson said. The witness in Mt. Vernon has still not been located.

Steeples was arrested and charged April 7, with two counts of first-degree murder with intent to kill or injure and one count of first-degree murder with a strong probability to kill or injure in connection with Gina Giberson’s death.

Giberson was pronounced dead at 7:59 a.m. on April 7 with multiple gunshot wounds pronounced as the cause of death.

Giberson also had an emergency order of protection against Steeples on March 21. In November 2013, Steeples and Giberson were involved in an argument in which Giberson reversed her truck and backed into Steeples, causing him to fall to the ground.

Steeples was also involved in an incident in which he received a knife wound to the neck at Lefty’s Holler, 727 Seventh St. on March 30.

The status pretrial will be at 9 a.m. on July 28 in Courtroom 1 at the Coles County Court House.

Amanda Wilkinson can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].