Aurora Man Pleads Guilty to Murder, Sentenced To 22 Years In Prison

AURORA, IL — A 20-year-old Aurora man will spend 22 years in prison after agreeing to plead guilty in the 2020 killing of a friend of his former girlfriend, Kane County officials announced this week.

Trevor C. White agreed to the sentence just before his trial on first-degree murder charges was about to begin. White agreed to plead guilty to the charges in exchange for the sentence.

Prosecutors said that on Feb. 7, 2020, White arrived at the home of his former girlfriend’s sister in the 400 block of Sherman Avenue in Aurora just before midnight. His former girlfriend, her sister, and the victim, John H. Smith, 20, who had recently met White’s former girlfriend were all present, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

White acquired a 9mm handgun before going to the apartment. White tried and failed to convince his former girlfriend to leave with him, prosecutors said. As the former girlfriend and her sister attempted to get White to leave, he fired a single shot from the handgun at Smith, striking him in the side and killing him, prosecutors said.

White must serve the full sentence and receives credit for 1,215 days served in the Kane County Jail.

“Trevor White was an emotional 16-year-old when his on-again, off-again 20-year-old girlfriend ended their relationship,” Assistant State’s Attorney Kelly Orland said. “He then made several poor choices – to go see her, to get a gun, and to shoot John Smith instead of leaving the apartment. He had no criminal history.”