QUINCY, IL — A man and a woman pleaded not guilty to robbery charges related to the October shooting death of a teenage girl. Tristian L. Johnson Jr., 23, and Fallon M. Gillum, 20, appeared in Adams County Circuit Court for their arraignment on Wednesday. Both are scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing on Jan. 3 and their cases are on the February 2024 jury docket. They were arrested on warrants for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, a Class 1 felony, and conspiracy to commit robbery, a Class 3 felony. Amended charges filed later included charges of attempted armed robbery, a Class 1 felony, and attempted robbery, a Class 3 felony.
The victim, Mackenzie Bullard, 16, was found dead in a home in the early morning of Oct. 11 in the 400 block of Scenic Drive. The Assistant State’s Attorney, Josh Jones, stated that she was killed as the result of an armed robbery during which a group of adults and juveniles allegedly conspired to steal a gun.
According to Jones, if found guilty, Johnson and Gillum could face sentences between four and 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Class 1 felonies and sentences between two and five years for the Class 3 felonies.
Defense attorneys have filed motions seeking to exclude certain evidence from being presented to a jury and to dismiss the amended charges, based on the contention that they do not state a cause of action. Both motions will be heard on Dec. 12. Pretrial release for Johnson and Gillum has been denied.
The Adams County Public Defender’s office is facing an attorney shortage and a high caseload, resulting in the specially appointed public defenders for Johnson and Gillum. The victim was confirmed to be Bullard, but her name has not been released by the Adams County Coroner’s Office or the Quincy Police Department.
Three Quincy juveniles were also arrested in connection to the incident and are lodged in the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center. This case brings attention to the legal process, especially in cases involving underage offenders and the intricacies of the justice system in dealing with such cases.
