A Bartlett man, Edward Mitzelfeld, aged 69, has been handed a 27-year prison sentence for the stabbing death of his 93-year-old mother, Frances Kelly, DuPage County officials report. Mitzelfeld, who lived with his mother on the 700 block of Bryn Mawr Avenue, was found guilty but mentally ill of the first-degree murder after a seven-day bench trial presided over by Judge Daniel Guerin. The conviction was announced in April, with sentencing following this week.
The tragic incident, which took place on May 29, 2019, was met with Mitzelfeld's immediate surrender as he called 911 and awaited police's arrival with his arms raised. According to the Chicago Tribune, after the responding officers entered the home, they found Kelly lying face down in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, revealing an incident more harrowing than a mere domestic disagreement.
During their investigation, officials determined that an argument had taken place between Mitzelfeld and Kelly, with the former stabbing Kelly multiple times in the back with a kitchen knife. This gruesome assault resulted in a severed aorta and entered lungs, which led to Kelly's death, as reported by the State’s Attorney’s Office. Mitzelfeld, remaining in custody since the day of the murder in the DuPage County Jail, faced five counts of first-degree murder before receiving his sentence.
"This heartbreaking case has haunted the Mitzelfeld and Kelly families for the past five years and with the final chapter now written, I wish them strength as they continue their lives without the love, support and friendship Frances provided," State's Attorney Robert Berlin stated. He continued to express his hope for closure for the family and friends of the victim, in a statement obtained by FOX 32 Chicago. The conviction and subsequent sentencing close a long-standing and agonizing chapter for all involved in a tragedy that has gripped the local community for over half a decade.
