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High bond set for man charged in mother's death

<p align="justify">Bond was set at $2.5 million Monday for a Peoria man accused of strangling his mother last week.

<p align="justify">The death occurred sometime Thursday, when John Finnegan, 20, entered his mother's room, found her sleeping and "swiftly killed her emotionlessly," Peoria County State's Attorney Kevin Lyons said in court, repeating what Finnegan reportedly told detectives.

<p align="justify">Mary Finnegan, 43, was found dead around noon Friday, when her other son, 23, stopped by her house and found her naked and wrapped in bedding.

<p align="justify">During a five-minute bond hearing in Peoria County Circuit Court, Lyons said the situation had "peculiar" overtones. He cited a "consensual but inappropriate" sexual relationship that had existed between John and Mary Finnegan for about four years. John Finnegan said he and his mother had sex the day before he allegedly killed her.

<p align="justify">Finnegan initially denied killing his mother but later told police he felt like he was "bottled up with rage." He also told detectives he sexually assaulted his mother's body and then tried to kill himself.

<p align="justify">Lyons said Finnegan first tried to drown himself in the bathtub before trying to overdose on various household medications and pills. When that didn't work, he grabbed some money and left the house in mother's car.

<p align="justify">He was arrested about 1 a.m. Sunday by Stark County sheriff's deputies, who found him sleeping in the car. He was then brought back to Peoria.

<p align="justify">Lyons praised detectives, saying they recognized the situation with John Finnegan was difficult and allowed him to express himself by either writing his statements or by talking. At times, he would do both.

<p align="justify">John Finnegan suffered from depression, was unemployed and spent much of his time around his mother's house playing video games, Lyons said. Mary Finnegan had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder about five years ago and had recently been placed on medical disability from Caterpillar Inc.

<p align="justify">Lyons attended the hearing and asked for the high bond amount because Finnegan had fled the county and had no place to live because he shared the small house with his mother. Typically, first-degree murder cases in the Peoria area draw $1 million bond requests.

<p align="justify">Finnegan said little during Monday's hearing, except to say he believed his family hired Thomas Penn Jr. to be his attorney, a fact Lyons confirmed.

<p align="justify">Penn could not be reached for comment.

<p align="justify">John Meisinger, who retired in May as principal of Richwoods High School where John Finnegan graduated in 2006, called him a "very quiet young man who kept to himself."

<p align="justify">"He was not in trouble that I can remember," he said.

<p align="justify">David Poehls, a dean at Richwoods who will be assistant principal in the fall, said he didn't remember Finnegan, a sign that he wasn't involved with disciplinary problems.

<p align="justify">"If he had been a trouble maker, I would have remembered him," Poehls said.

<p align="justify">An Aug. 21 preliminary hearing was scheduled, though it's likely a grand jury will hear the case before then.

<p align="justify">Andy Kravetz can be reached at (309) 686-3283 or akravetz@pjstar.com. Erin Wood can be reached at (309) 686-3194 or ewood@pjstar.com.