St. Charles, IL – An Elgin man was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping in a violent 2023 attack that left a woman with severe injuries, following a jury trial in Kane County.
According to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, a jury on Tuesday convicted Darnell L. Rhodes of Aggravated Kidnapping Inflicting Great Bodily Harm, a Class X felony. Prosecutors said Rhodes, along with co-defendants Roger A. Heaps and Lloyd D. Hayes Jr., kidnapped and assaulted a woman they knew between March 13 and March 14, 2023.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Mark Stajdohar and Matthew Picton presented evidence that the defendants used a knife to threaten the victim and forcibly brought her to a residence, where they bound and beat her. During the attack, the woman was stabbed in both legs, sustained multiple fractures, and suffered additional blunt-force injuries that left both her eyes swollen shut.
Rhodes faces six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and is scheduled for sentencing on September 25 at the Kane County Judicial Center. He remains in custody at the Kane County jail.
In a related case, Heaps pleaded guilty to one count of Armed Violence in January and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Hayes’ case is ongoing, with a status hearing set for September 12. He faces 11 felony counts, including Attempted Murder and Armed Violence.
ASA Stajdohar called the assault one of the most “ugliest unprovoked attacks” he has seen in 25 years, praising the victim for her resilience and recovery.
Detectives Andrew Houghton and David Lackey of the Elgin Police Department were also recognized for their investigative work.
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