Toni Keller Case: Convicted Murderer Wants Plea Deal Thrown Out

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William Curl, 36, filed a motion July 22 asking to have his sentence thrown out, claiming prosecutors threatened his 13-year-old son, according to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle.

Curl, who maintained his innocence despite the plea deal, agreed in April to plead guilty in exchange for a 37-year sentence. According to the Chronicle, Curl filed his motion well past the 30-day deadline he had to appeal. Curl reportedly did not provide details on how he claims his son was threatened, although the teen was listed as a possible witness in his murder trial, the newspaper reported.

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Curl was originally charged with five counts of first-degree murder, one count of criminal sexual assault, one count of arson and one count of concealing a homicidal death in the murder of Keller, a freshman art major at Northern Illinois University. The Plainfield teen was known for her artistic flair, her love of making others happy and her passion for the color yellow.

Keller disappeared in October 2010 after going for a walk in a DeKalb park; her charred remains were found two days later.

As part of Curl's plea deal, he must serve 100 percent of his 37-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office called the sentence “the longest ever imposed at 100 percent on a negotiated plea” on a non-death penalty case in DeKalb County. Curl is not eligible to receive time off for good behavior, although he will get credit for the more than two years he’s served in the DeKalb County Jail.

Curl is currently serving his sentence at the Menard Correctional Facility, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. 
Related: 

• No Trial in Toni Keller Murder: Killer Cops a Plea
• 'This Could Be Anybody Else's Kid Next Time:' Curl Gets 37 Years in Toni Keller Murder