Appellate Court of Illinois November 15, 1999, 2-97-0761 (People v. Crane)

JUSTICE COLWELL

delivered the opinion of the court:

Following a February 1997 trial, a jury found defendant, David Crane, guilty of murder. It had been alleged that defendant “beat and burned” the victim, Robert Gahan, knowing that such acts created a strong probability of Gahan’s death. See Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 38, par. 9 — 1(a)(2) (now 720 ILCS 5/9 — 1(a)(2) (West 1996)).