WASHINGTON COUNTY — A Washington County jury returned a guilty verdict Wednesday night in the murder trial of a 44-year-old Belleville man.

Resident Judge Daniel Emge denied a motion for a directed verdict Wednesday in the case accusing Kevin Loucks of the murder of a 44-year-old East St. Louis man Montez Pearson, whose body was found July 19 of this year near Lunte Creek Road, west of Nashville, Illinois.

The jury was selected Monday with both the prosecution and defense delivering closing arguments Wednesday afternoon. The jury returned a guilty verdict late Wednesday afternoon.

A second suspect in Pearson’s murder, 57-year-old Milton Robinson was arrested the day after Loucks, and a third suspect 45-year-old Arrion Sanders was arrested a few days after Robinson.

At the time of his arrest for Pearson’s murder, Loucks was free on bail in a Washington County case charging him with Class 1 felony possession of methamphetamine.

Prosecutors have filed an intent to seek consecutive sentences if Loucks is convicted in both cases.

All three murder suspects remain in custody at this time. Sanders and Robinson are seeking release under the new SafeT Act provisions. They’re scheduled for hearings next month.

Loucks is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, in Washington County Court.