MORRISON, Ill — The Rock Falls man found guilty of murder and arson in a 2020 Sterling apartment fire will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Steven Coleman was previously convicted of setting a 2020 Sterling apartment fire that killed three people and injured multiple others. He received three consecutive lifetime sentences with no possibility of parole. Those sentences stem from three first-degree murder counts. He also received three 30-year sentences and another 15 years for arson charges, along with numerous fines.
Coleman never appeared in court on Thursday—a move that is legal but uncommon.
"Doesn't change anything for him," Attorney James Mertes said. "Either way he will spend his lifetime in prison."
Since Coleman opted out of appearing, he was not in the room when family members gave their victim impact statements. That included Faith Walker and Alma Walker, who both lost their daughters that night.
"Steven Coleman singlehandedly ruined four families that night," Faith said as she started to choke up. "That was the beginning of the rest of my life...We were shocked when we walked into a room with a black bag on a table. It was her, and as soon as I seen my baby it felt as if my throat had closed on me."
Alma, who was severely burned in the fire, said she was disappointed in Coleman's absence but added that speaking to him wouldn't bring back her daughter and niece.
"I would have rather him shown up so I can look him in the eye," Alma said. "My children lost their third musketeer, best friend and sister."
On July 19, a Whiteside County jury found Coleman guilty of three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated arson and one count of residential arson. Coleman was also found not guilty of three counts of murder with a strong probability to kill or injure.
Prosecutors argued that Coleman purposefully set the fire following a drug deal gone wrong. Coleman used an accelerator to start the fire after asking his brother for a ride to the Western Apartment Complex in Sterling on June 1, 2020.
“For the life of me, I cannot think of what other result would be expected when you show up at an apartment complex, dump an accelerant out and light it on fire. What else do you expect to happen?” Whiteside County Assistant State's Attorney Ryan Simon said during the trial.
A 49-year-old woman and two girls, aged 8 and 13, died in the fire.