23-05-2025
Rock Falls man sentenced in fatal stabbing
A Rock Falls man who was accused of murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in February has entered a plea and been sentenced.
Whiteside County Court records show that Kyle Cooper, 36, waived formal arraignment on May 22 and entered a guilty plea to a charge of second-degree murder. The court heard victim impact statements and Cooper gave an unsworn statement.
Cooper was sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by one year of mandatory supervised release, with credit for 97 days served. He was ordered to pay Schedule 1 costs, plus a $75 fine and a $250 genetic marker. Counts 1 – 3 of murder, aggravated battery use of a deadly weapon and aggravated battery great bodily harm were nolle prosequi, which is Latin for 'not to prosecute,' according to court records. It is a legal term in which a prosecutor formally decides to abandon prosecuting a criminal case, ending the case without judgement. It differs from a dismissal in that nolle prosequi means the charge may be reinstated at a later date.
Cooper was arrested after Rock Falls Police responded to a stabbing on February 14. Officers found 27-year-old Daniel Gordon of Rock Falls with severe injuries. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
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