A Jury Convicted A 60-year-old Man Of Intentionally Killing His Girlfriend

EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS (TCD) – A jury this week convicted a 60-year-old man of intentionally killing his 46-year-old girlfriend with his truck after a quarrel.

According to Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine, a jury deliberated for 40 minutes before convicting Richard Mayor guilty of first-degree murder in connection with Lisa Dunnavant-Polach’s death on February 21, 2023.

According to Haine, Dunnavant-Polach was walking along Illinois 111 “trying to evade Mayor” when a witness driving a tractor-trailer noticed she “was in distress.” The witness, a former Marine, reportedly pulled over to help her, and as she tried to get into the witness’ vehicle, Mayor struck her with his white pickup truck.

At the trial, Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager played a security video of the incident.

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During his testimony, the witness told the jury that he “pulled the microphone wire off his CB radio and used it to tie a tourniquet on the victim’s severed leg,” according to Haine. According to reports, the victim told the witness that her boyfriend was the one who hit her.

According to Haine, Dunnavant-Polach said to rescuers, “I have children. I’m not ready to die yet.”

Pontoon Beach Police went to the scene and performed lifesaving measures, but Dunnavant-Polach died after being transferred to a St. Louis hospital.

Pontoon Beach Police recognized a suspicious car and located Mayor’s inoperable truck on Illinois 203 in Granite City, about 5 miles away. Haine stated that Mayor was apprehended by a Madison County sheriff’s deputy near the truck.

According to Haine, Mayor requested that jurors convict him of reckless homicide, a lesser offense because he “accidentally struck the victim after his foot got stuck between his truck’s brake and accelerator.” He also testified that he “continued driving after the impact because he ‘blacked out.’” Yager described the Mayor’s remarks as “fantastical.”

The mayor will be sentenced at a later time and might receive an additional 60 to 100 years in prison.

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