Husband who murdered high school receptionist gets 30 years without parole

A Rockford, IL man who murdered his wife as she slept was sentenced to 30 years without parole. Winnebago County Judge Joe McGraw sentenced 65 year old Thomas McFeegan to that term Wednesday, February 17 after a guilty plea. The victim was a longtime receptionist at Rockford's Auburn High School Main Campus, and co-founded a homicide victims' support group.

McFeggan’s wife, Carol, 62, was discovered the morning of June 29 by their daughter, Sarah McFeggan, and Sarah’s friend, Valerie Heinisch, inside the couple’s northwest Rockford home. Police found the woman deceased in her bed. Police spoke to Sarah McFeggan, who gave officers a note written by her father that she said she had found in the kitchen.

In the note, Thomas McFeggan wrote that he killed Carol McFeggan, and that her death was not a suicide. He also revealed in his note that he and Carol were facing foreclosure on their home, although Carol didn’t know about it. Thomas also wrote that he had planned to commit suicide.

However, instead of killing himself, law enforcement found Thomas fishing in a Vilas County, WI lake, where he was arrested July 1. He was found with a .38 caliber handgun, which he admitted using against his wife when Rockford detectives interviewed him.