Brewer guilty of triple murder

LIVINGSTON COUNTY (25 News Now) - A jury took less than three hours to find Clifford Brewer guilty of all six counts of first-degree murder in the Christmas 2019 deaths of his wife, son and their family friend.

The jury received the case Tuesday after the defense and prosecution wrapped up closing arguments in his trial.

Prosecutors in closing made note of the number of times Brewer changed his story to control the narrative. They said it was his effort to hide important details.

The defense rebuked that argument, putting forward its theory Shirley Brewer, Clifford’s wife, committed the crimes and shot herself in a struggle with her husband for the gun.

Prosecutors said claims like that hold no basis in fact. They pointed to a lack of evidence to support the theory that Shirley was the killer.

The jury returned the verdict in about two and a half hours including the time they took to eat lunch.

Brewer faces mandatory life without parole. That’s based on Illinois law that requires such a sentence for two or more murders.

He is set to be sentenced October 5 at 2 p.m.