Marseilles man charged with murder accused of beating fellow La Salle County Jail inmate

Logan Petre faces a murder charge – he allegedly beat and asphyxiated his father – but while in custody, the Marseilles man incurred a new charge in connection with beating up a fellow inmate.

Petre, 21, was indicted Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery. A La Salle County jury returned a one-count indictment alleging that Petre struck a county jail inmate “repeatedly about the head and body” on July 18. Petre could face two to five years in prison if convicted.

Court records gave no indication of motive or whether there was provocation. The inmate, who had pleaded guilty to a weapons charge, has since been transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections to serve a three-year sentence.

Petre was scheduled to appear Thursday for a motions hearing on his murder charge. He then will be presented with the aggravated battery charge and given the option of demanding trial.

The murder trial is set for Aug. 26, but the date looks shaky. Petre was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, and court records gave no indication of whether it was completed and a report tendered. Petre will not stand trial until the question of fitness is resolved.

On paper, Petre’s new charge would appear to be an afterthought to his murder charge. Petre would, if convicted of murder, face up to 60 years with additional time if he’s convicted of a separate home invasion charge.

In practice, the battery charge could complicate plea negotiations or be cited as an aggravating factor at sentencing. The judge also has the discretion to order Petre to serve any battery sentence back-to-back with any sentence for murder.