Son who killed mom with baseball bat thinking she was intruder avoids prison in Illinois

A man who pleaded guilty in the beating death of his 53-year-old mother will not be going to prison, Illinois officials say.

Thomas W. Summerwill believed an intruder had broken into his bedroom while he was sleeping March 24, 2019, in Campton Hills. Summerwill, then 21 years old, grabbed a baseball bat and struck the person multiple times, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The person Summerwill thought was an intruder was Mary Summerwill, his mother, who died from her injuries, the prosecutor said.

“I didn’t know it was my mother. Oh, my God, what did I do?” the son told responding officers, Assistant Kane County State’s Attorney Greg Sams said during testimony, according to the Daily Herald.

He had a blood-alcohol level of .270 and had THC in his system at the time of the incident, according to the Associated Press.

Liam Dixon, Summerwill’s defense attorney, argued his client had just returned from a trip to Europe and had jet lag, the AP reported.

Summerwill was charged with second-degree murder as prosecutors initially said his belief that his mom was an intruder “was not reasonable because of his alcohol impairment.”

But prosecutors later said imprisoning Summerwill “serves no purpose,” WFLD reported.

“Thomas Summerwill must live with the fact that, accidental or not, he is responsible for his mother’s death,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said, according to the TV station. “He will never again be able to hug her, seek advice from her, or tell her he loves her. He will never be able to introduce his children to their grandmother. That is a heavy burden.”

Last week, Summerwill pleaded guilty to an amended charge of involuntary manslaughter, the Daily Herald reported. He is required to perform 200 hours of community service and will be on probation for four years.

At the time of Summerwill’s arrest, his attorney said family members supported him, calling the incident a “horrible accident,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

“They had an excellent relationship,” Dixon said of Summerwill and his mother. “I wouldn’t even call it a typical relationship, I would say it’s very loving. She adored him.”

Mary Summerwill was described in her obituary as “an intelligent, bubbly and beautiful woman who always made others feel valued and whose presence always would light up the world.” It also said she “loved her sons with all her heart.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Son who killed mom with baseball bat thinking she was intruder avoids prison in Illinois."