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Men Get 8 Years For Lincoln Square Knife Fight That Left Their Friend Dead

By Erica Demarest | September 11, 2017 5:32pm | Updated on September 11, 2017 5:36pm
 Raymond Boyle, 23, and John Dalton Stropes, 22, were sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.
Raymond Boyle, 23, and John Dalton Stropes, 22, were sentenced Monday to eight years in prison.
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DNAinfo; Cook County Sheriff's Office

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — Two men were sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for their roles in a fatal Lincoln Square attack that stemmed from a Facebook feud in 2015.

Raymond Boyle, 23, and John Dalton Stropes, 22, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Angelica Escamilla.

RELATED: Woman Killed in Lincoln Square Was Fight Instigator, Prosecutors Say

According to prosecutors, Boyle, Stropes and Escamilla lured a 19-year-old man into an alley in the 2100 block of West Sunnyside Avenue about 3:30 p.m. June 29, 2015, to attack the man over an ongoing Facebook feud.

As Escamilla taunted the man, punched him repeatedly and told him she was going to "beat his a--," prosecutors said, the man pulled out a folding knife with a two-inch blade and fatally stabbed Escamilla in her chest before slashing Boyle and Stropes.

Police said the 19-year-old was acting in self-defense since he hoped the knife would scare off his attackers. He was not charged.

Boyle and Stropes, however, were charged with murder, mob action and aggravated battery, court records show. Illinois state law says that anyone who commits a felony that results in a murder can be charged with that murder — regardless of who pulls a trigger or plunges a knife.

On Monday, Boyle and Stropes accepted a plea deal before Cook County Judge Carol M. Howard. The men were sentenced to eight years in prison and credited with serving more than two years in Cook County Jail, 2700 S. California Ave., while awaiting trial.

Stropes was sentenced Monday to an additional 1½ years in prison after he pleaded guilty to attacking a jail guard.

During a 2015 bond hearing, prosecutors said Boyle and the 19-year-old man had been feuding on Facebook prior to the stabbing. It was not clear why they argued.

According to authorities, the 19-year-old brandished his knife after Boyle, Stropes and Escamilla surrounded him in an alley. All three beat the man, prosecutors said, before Boyle and Stropes backed him into a pole.

That's when the 19-year-old pulled out his knife and stabbed Escamilla, who was standing directly in front of him. The man continued to wave his knife, slashing Boyle and Stropes, before running away and calling 911.

The man suffered a sprained knee, a bruised neck, a bite mark to his back, contusions to his head and ribs, and a chipped front tooth, prosecutors said.

RELATED: 20-Year-Old Woman Dead, 2 Men Injured in Lincoln Square Stabbing: Officials

According to his public defender, Boyle has "numerous psychological issues," including bipolar disorder and ADHD. He has one child, the attorney said, and "has had a very troubling life, judge."

Stropes' public defender said Stropes has suffered "multiple head injuries" over the years, some of which were inflicted by his stepfather. Stropes also has ADHD, the attorney said.

In March 2014, Stropes was sentenced to four years of probation for aggravated battery to a person over 60 in Peoria County, prosecutors said. He also has a juvenile record for aggravated battery.