Balancing the Factors in the Bolin Murder

"All penalties shall be determined both according to the seriousness of the offense and with the object of restoring the offender to useful citizenship." 

The Illinois Constitution Article I, Section 11 (1970) 

A Tazewell County Circuit Court has now sentenced four people to prison time for the October 2021 attack on Rebecca Bolin and Douglas Bolin in Mackinaw, Illinois. The attack left Rebecca Bolin dead and Douglas Bolin injured. Prosecutors have said that Dahlia Bolin, only 15 at the time of the murder, had orchestrated a murder-for-hire scheme with others for the purpose of murdering her father, Douglas Bolin, including offering to split life insurance proceeds as part of the incentive.  

All four pled guilty to first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and conspiracy, with Dahlia Bolin also pleading guilty to solicitation of first-degree murder for hire. However, the sentences of the perpetrators vary.   

• Dhalia Bolin – 60 years 
• Nathaniel Maloney – 66 years 
• Andrew Street – 55 years 
• Sage Raeuber – 30 years.  

The differences are stark – a total of 36 years from highest to lowest. However, some digging into Illinois law goes to show why this is the case.  

Sentencing for crimes in Illinois is based on State law, specifically a few portions of the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections. For first-degree murder, the term of imprisonment is to be "not less than 20 years and not more than 60 years." That is a large range – for the average life expectancy in Illinois of around 77 years, a 60-year sentence is very likely essentially a life sentence, but a 20-year sentence could mean release in middle age. (Remember, each crime has its own sentencing length, so if you are convicted of three serious crimes at once, those times can stack into the hundreds of years.) 

The ranges give judges broad discretion to decide how long sentences should be. Things judges can consider include:  

• Evidence from the trial,  
• Pre sentencing reports,  
• The financial burden on the State for incarceration,  
• Aggravating circumstances, i.e., extreme violence, etc.,  
• Plea deals, and other factors. 

What matters, however, is that "all sentences shall be imposed by the judge based upon his independent assessment of the elements." That is to say, the Judge is the decision maker, and as long as they stay within the year range provided by the statute, there is a good chance that any sentence will be upheld.  

In the murder of Rebecca Bolin and the attempted murder of Douglas Bolin (each offense with its own sentencing range), there are many elements that one might consider an aggravating circumstance. This likely explains long sentences for the relatively young people involved in the crimes.  

• Dhalia Bolin – 17 years old 
• Nathaniel Maloney  - 20 years old 
• Andrew Street – 19 years old 
• Sage Raeuber – 21 years old.  

(This was their respective ages at the time of sentencing; Dahlia was around 15 years old at the time of the crime).  

However, one can likely see the result of how judges consider the factors of a crime in sentencing in the time to be served by Sage Raeuber. According to prosecutors, she was the get-away driver and did not participate in the actual attacks. Her sentence is much shorter than the others.  

Even in the wake of tragedies such as this, it is important to understand the laws which govern our lives as citizens. Illinois law allows judges broad discretion in sentencing, considering factors like evidence, aggravating circumstances, and the defendant's age. The varying sentences highlight the complex interplay of legal factors in delivering justice. 

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