Cairo homicide case continued to June 4

CAIRO, Ill. -- The murder case against Chauncey Hughes hit another delay Tuesday as attorneys for both sides agreed to continue a defense motion to suppress his confession.

Hughes, 30, faces felony murder charges in connection with the Nov. 1 shooting death of his wife, Heather Davis, 22.

The continuance Tuesday was the second since Hughes' attorney, public defender Zach Gowin, filed a motion April 1 in Alexander County, Illinois, Circuit Court to suppress his confession to state and county law enforcement officers.

At a preliminary hearing in December, Illinois State Police Special Agent Ryan Sykes testified that Hughes initially told Illinois State Police Sgt. Chad Brown and Alexander County Sheriff Tim Brown a pistol accidentally discharged as Davis handed it to him.

When the sheriff and the state trooper expressed doubt about Hughes' version of events, he changed his story, saying he accidentally shot Hughes while attempting to scare her during an altercation, Sykes testified.

At a pretrial conference Tuesday morning, Judge Mark Clarke granted a motion by State's Attorney Jeff Farris to continue the case to June 4.

Hughes was charged Nov. 2 with five counts of murder. Farris has said he filed multiple charges to give a jury several options.

Hughes also faces three aggravated battery charges in a separate case filed in June.

The battery case had been set for trial in January, but at Gowin's request, it was rescheduled for trial at the same time as the murder case.

Both cases are scheduled to go to trial June 17.

Davis owned and managed Mack's Restaurant in Cairo.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

Cairo, Ill.