Marseilles murder suspect’s trial postponed

A Marseilles man charged with killing his father on Father’s Day weekend will not stand trial for murder on Aug. 26.

Logan Petre, 21, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court on multiple felony charges led by first-degree murder for allegedly beating and asphyxiating Leo Petre. Murder carries a mandatory prison sentence of 20 to 60 years, but Petre could face an extended sentence if convicted of other felonies filed before and after Leo’s death.

The trial won’t happen at the end of the month. In open court, La Salle County Public Defender Ryan Hamer said Logan Petre had not yet had a mental health evaluation, and the trial cannot proceed until the exam is completed.

Hamer asked for a Sept. 26 status hearing on all charges. These include a new count of aggravated battery, for which Logan Petre was indicted Tuesday. He is alleged to have beaten a fellow inmate in the La Salle County Jail, according to court records.

Prosecutors did not object, as Aug. 26 was Logan Petre’s first trial setting.

Few murder cases go to trial at the first setting. Prosecutors and defense attorneys typically wait months for labs to produce forensic test results, and mental health issues must be ruled out before a suspect can stand trial.