Jefferson County State’s Attorney Douglas R. Hoffman has announced that 44 year old Timothy S. Newell of Bonnie, has plead guilty to one count of First Degree Murder for the death of Rita “Betty” Newell on October 3, 2013 in Bonnie.  The plea agreement presented by the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office and Public Defender Sean Featherstun was accepted by Circuit Judge Eric Dirnbeck on Tuesday.  Judge Dirnbeck sentenced Newell to 40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.  The law requires that he serve 100% of his sentence.  On October 3, 2013, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Ina Police Department authorities discovered the body of Rita Newell at her home in Bonnie.  An autopsy revealed that she was beaten and stabbed once in the neck with a knife.  The defendant, Timothy Newell, was the victim’s grandson and lived with her.  He was apprehended the next day in Missouri and confessed to killing the victim.