Pierre J. French was sentenced to 65 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the December 2024 death of Dreanna Booker, according to the Elgin Police Department. Booker was 33, French was 38, and the couple were living separately when she was killed. Judge Bianca Camargo imposed the sentence on May 13, 2026, and French received credit for 641 days spent in the Kane County Jail.
Because the conviction was for first-degree murder, Illinois' sentencing rules require French to serve the full term rather than receive ordinary sentence credit, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections and a summary of the applicable statute from 312 Defense. The conviction also covers the death of Booker's unborn child, which prosecutors said resulted from the stabbing.
What prosecutors said happened
According to the prosecution account reported by FOX 32 Chicago, the killing occurred at French's Elgin residence on Dec. 6, 2024, after Booker drove him there. Prosecutors said the two argued about her relationship with another person before French stabbed her with a large kitchen knife. Elgin police said French called 911 and acknowledged the stabbing, and officers found Booker dead in the kitchen.
Prosecutors said French then drove away in Booker's blue GMC SUV and went to the home of her boyfriend, where he struck the boyfriend's parked vehicle after no one answered. Police later encountered French in the SUV, but he did not stop and the pursuit was ended. He was subsequently arrested, and officers recovered a blood-covered knife from the SUV's passenger area that police said French identified as the weapon used in the killing, according to FOX 32.
Earlier court filings
Court records reviewed by the Daily Herald show that Booker filed for divorce in May 2024 and sought an emergency protection order two months later. She alleged that French had copied her house key, threatened a friend and prompted four police calls in one week. Booker later withdrew the request for a longer-term order after the couple entered a judge-approved agreement requiring them to treat each other respectfully.
The Daily Herald also reported that French and Booker married in 2011, had six children and had separated in 2015. At the time of the killing, their divorce was expected to become final within weeks.
How Illinois defines domestic-related incidents
The available reporting guidance from the Illinois State Police defines domestic-related incidents to include those involving spouses or former spouses, people who share or formerly shared a home, and people who have or allegedly have a child in common. The guidance establishes the category used in state crime reporting; the verified material available for this article does not provide comparable statewide or Kane County offense totals.
Kane County State's Attorney Jamie L. Mosser said French chose violence instead of dealing with his problems as an adult, according to the Elgin Police Department's statement. The department said the killing deprived Booker's six children of their mother and also affected her other relatives. Police Chief Ana Lalley credited investigators, prosecutors and victim advocate Sheila Gray while expressing hope that the sentence would bring some peace to Booker's family.
