17 September 2023 :
SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 - Jury recommends death for Joshua McClellan.
Lake County jurors on Friday recommended a death sentence for Joshua McClellan in the Feb. 8, 2017 death of 92-year-old Rubye James. McClellan was 19 at the time. The jury's recommendation came on a 10-2 vote.
Co-defendant Krystopher Laws pleaded guilty in 2020 in return for a life sentence.
A defense neurologist who conducted a scan said McClellan had suffered some kind of brain injury. There was also evidence that he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
McClellan was exposed to poverty and was twice removed from his home because his mother smoked marijuana.
State expert psychologist Gregory Prichard said McClellan had a “mixed personality disorder.”
Personality disorders are not the same as mental illnesses, he testified. You can’t prescribe medication for a personality trait, but you can for a mental illness such as schizophrenia or for those who are bipolar.
Circuit Judge Heidi Davis said a hearing will be set soon where defense attorneys will have a chance to present evidence against imposing a death sentence.
