A Deerfield man faces up to life in prison after he pleaded guilty Wednesday to the murder of his wife after he held her hostage and stabbed her in their home in 2018.
Gary A. Kamen, 59, of the 1000 block of Peachtree Lane in Deerfield, was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
He was later charged with five counts of murder, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault with a weapon and two counts of aggravated armed kidnapping.
Police were called to Kamen’s Deerfield home in the 1000 block of Peachtree Lane around 3:40 p.m. on September 21, 2018, for a domestic dispute call.
Officers found Gary Kamen’s wife, Karyn Kamen, 53, significantly injured from multiple stab wounds.
Paramedics transported the woman to an area hospital where she was in critical condition and died the following day.
Prosecutors said that he admitted to investigators that he held his wife hostage for several hours in their home and stabbed her.
Court records show he also allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office called the case “brutal and heinous.”
Lake County Major Crime Task Force Spokesman Christopher Covelli said at the time that Kamen was taken into custody and placed under special watch after “making statements.”
A judge ordered him held in the Lake County Jail on a $10 million bond.
Assistant stateโs attorneys Lauren Kalcheim Rothenberg and Scott Hoffert later argued Kamen was a threat to the family and a judge then ordered him held without bond.
Kamen on Wednesday entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed, court records show.
After the plea, defense attorney James Schwarzbach asked the court to have Kamen undergo a mental health evaluation as part of the pre-sentence investigation.
Kamen faces at least 20 years in prison with a potential life sentence.
Judge Daniel Shanes said Kamen will be required to serve 100% of the sentence imposed.
“This has been a long and difficult case for the victimโs family and friends. I want to thank the prosecutors, investigators, and victim-witness counselors who have been working on this case since the beginning. Our office will continue to focus on the brutal nature of this crime during sentencing,” Lake County Stateโs Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
A sentencing hearing is set for July 18.