EDWARDSVILLE — Alton's Arthur E. Smallwood has been sentenced to mandatory life in prison for a 2018 attempted first-degree murder after stabbing a cab driver multiple times.
Smallwood, (d.o.b. 12/8/1963), was found guilty of Attempted First Degree Murder, a Class X felony, by a Madison County jury on July 17, 2019. Smallwood was charged with the attempted murder of Jan-Eric Anderson, a cab driver, after the driver picked Smallwood up from Bubby & Sissy’s bar in Alton, on August 8, 2018. Smallwood stabbed Anderson 15 times before fleeing from the cab.
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Pursuant to Illinois law (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-95), a Mandatory Natural Life Sentence can be given for a defendant’s third Class X offense conviction. In 1984, Smallwood was convicted of the offense of Armed Robbery and Armed Violence. In 1998, he was convicted of the offense of Attempted First Degree Murder. Both of these offenses are Class X felonies.
State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons offered praise for First Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe and Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Heischmidt, both of the State’s Attorney’s Violent Crimes Unit. State’s Attorney Gibbons explained that: “Our highest goal is to bring Justice for the Citizens of Madison County and victims of violent crime. Our Violent Crimes Unit, under the leadership of First Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe, is aggressively charging violent criminals and securing prison sentences far higher than we saw in the past.”
Gibbons also expressed his appreciation for the outstanding work of the officers and investigators from the Alton Police Department for conducting such a thorough investigation, without which prosecutors could not have secured justice for the victim and the community. Additionally, he thanked the jurors for fulfilling their solemn duty, Judge Kyle Napp for conducting a fair trial, and witnesses from Barnes Jewish Hospital for their critical testimony that helped his office obtain the guilty verdict against Smallwood.
At the sentencing, Judge Napp acknowledged mental health issues faced by Smallwood, but made clear they do not excuse the deadly attack on the victim. Gibbons stated that “while we recognize the reality of the defendant’s issues, they cannot be used to justify or excuse his violent behavior. Despite years of treatment, he remains extremely violent. We are certain he will receive proper mental health treatment in the Department of Corrections.”
Gibbons stated, “After a lifetime of short sentences and not being held properly accountable for his violent crimes, it is a great relief to see Judge Napp permanently remove this violent individual from our community and lock him behind bars for the remainder of his life. In 1983, the defendant was convicted of his first armed robbery and spent less than 10 years in prison.
"In 1993, this individual attacked a police officer and got probation. In 1997, Smallwood beat a man in the head with a claw hammer, nearly killing him. For that grave act, he was given a sentence that the prosecutor knew would only amount to five years in prison. That is a slap in the face of the victim and disgrace to our justice system. We cannot undo the injustices of the past, but we can fulfill our mission to secure justice for Mr. Anderson and all of the perpetrator’s victims over the years. This verdict finally allows us to do so.”
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