UPDATE: 3 Charged in St. Charles Hate-Crime Attack on Gay Men, Female Friend

Two men and a woman face multiple charges stemming from what police call a hate crime. Here are the details.

Two local men and a woman face multiple felony counts as a result of a hate crime investigation police began after an attack on two gay men and a woman earlier this month. Stephan C. Bolt, 31, of the 4N800 block of East Mary Lane, Christopher M. Miner, 30, of the 100 block of North 15th Street, and Susan V. Patton, 31, of the 6N200 block of Woodland Road, face charges that range from aggravated battery to mob action to hate crime after the attack, which occurred in the 2000 Block of Lincoln Highway early on Jan. 6. Police were called at 1:45 a.m. that day to a report of a disturbance in the 2000 block of Lincoln Highway (Route 38). Witnesses and the accusers told police they were with a group of friends at a bar authorities earlier …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

kent taylor

11:34 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dan - The difference between murders in your example is intent. Was it planned out or an act of rage. If someone planned to murder someone because they hated the fact that they always walked on their lawn or planned to murder someone because they hated the fact that they were gay it would still be first degree. We just make the second more egregious.   more ›