Peoria man sentenced to prison for 2022 fatal shooting at barbecue

A Peoria man was sentenced to 52 years in prison Monday for killing a 32-year-old man during an argument at a barbecue in 2022.

Rev I. Blakes, 42, was sentenced by Peoria County Circuit Judge John Vespa three months after he had been convicted on first-degree murder charges in the death of Michael Davis on June 28, 2022, at his home in the 1000 block of West McClure Avenue.

According to the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office, Blakes was accused of showing up to Davis' home on a motorized bike while he was enjoying dinner with his family. Davis asked for Blakes to leave on multiple occasions, but he refused and eventually pulled out a gun and shot him.

During the trial in April, Davis' sister, an eyewitness to the incident, told the jury that Blakes proceeded to fire at him three additional times while he laid on the ground. Blakes left and disposed of the gun in a nearby creek. He was arrested four days later.