EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County jury found an Alton man guilty of harassment of a witness Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, for directing relatives to make Facebook posts intended to influence a potential witness in his upcoming attempted murder trial, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Steven Foster Jr., 39, was convicted after the jury deliberated for about an hour. Earlier this year, while in the Madison County Jail awaiting trial on three counts of attempted murder, Foster instructed relatives to make posts to his Facebook account, prosecutors said.
The jury found that the posts, which mentioned a potential witness in Foster’s upcoming trial, were intended to harass the witness and caused the witness to suffer mental anguish or distress.
“Harassment of a witness is a direct attack on the heart of our justice system,” Haine said. “Our justice system depends on witnesses having the courage to come forward. Anyone who tries to intimidate or harass a witness will be held accountable.”
Investigators from the State’s Attorney’s Office were alerted to the social media posts and conducted an investigation that resulted in the harassment charge. The Alton Police Department assisted in the investigation.
“The message from the State’s Attorney’s Office is clear: Attempts to intimidate witnesses into silence will not be tolerated,” Haine said. “We will vigorously prosecute efforts to interfere with witnesses and the judicial process.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Audrey Paulda and Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Stewart prosecuted the case. Circuit Judge Kyle Napp presided over the trial, which began Monday.
Foster will be sentenced later. Harassment of a witness is a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Foster is awaiting trial on attempted murder charges alleging he shot three people in Alton in 2021. The three received treatment at hospitals and survived.
A judge presiding over that case has ordered Meta, which owns Facebook, to disable Foster’s Facebook account.
