PEORIA, Ill. – A homeless Peoria man no-showed his guilty conviction in a Peoria County courtroom on Tuesday.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office says 31-year-old Shiloe Beasley was convicted after a two-day trial of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, Attempted Armed Robbery, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon.
Beasley chose to represent himself at the trial, and was repeatedly told proceedings could continue whether or not he was there.
Prosecutors say Beasley chose not to attend or participate in the trial, which was still conducted, as required by law.
The incident occurred the afternoon of December 18th, 2023, where the victim testified he was making a delivery to a Dollar General store as a Frito-Lay employee.
The victim stated that Beasley came into the store brandishing a firearm and demanded money from the manager. The victim raised his hands as the manager went into the office and told Beasley that he didn’t work for the store. Beasley then shot the victim in the arm before fleeing the scene.
Prosecutors say the store manager’s testimony corroborated with the victim’s testimony of the robbery and the shooting. The store manager stated that he immediately recognized Beasley as the gunman, due to numerous prior interactions with him.
