Haine announces 12-year prison term for man who kicked his way into sleeping couple’s home

Edwardsville, IL — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that an East Alton man who kicked his way into a couple’s home and attacked one of the residents has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The sentence was issued Tuesday to 42-year-old Jesse E. Stewart by Associate Judge Neil Schroeder. Following a trial in August, Stewart was found guilty of home invasion, a class X felony.

“A person’s home should be a place where they feel safe, not a place where they fear for their lives,” Haine said. “This 12-year sentence holds Jesse Stewart accountable for invading someone else’s home and violating that sense of security. We hope this sentence provides some measure of justice and helps the victims move forward.”

According to evidence and testimony, the couple awoke when they heard someone inside their East Alton home on July 4, 2025. The male resident grabbed a gun as the intruder entered the bedroom, but did not fire the weapon. The intruder and the male resident fought inside the home until police arrived and took Stewart into custody. The female resident had called 911. The residents did not know Stewart and had no connection with him.

At a sentencing hearing Tuesday, Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson, Chief of the Criminal Division at the State’s Attorney’s Office, asked the judge to impose a 15-year sentence.

Hudson argued that the crime was highly dangerous, as Stewart refused to leave the home even when he had a gun pointed at him. She said Stewart is fortunate he wasn’t shot.

“He’s lucky he’s sitting here today…and not dead,” Hudson argued. “But that’s where his luck should end.”

The case was prosecuted by Hudson and Assistant State’s Attorney Cole Bradshaw, Chief of the Misdemeanor/Traffic Division at the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Haine commended the prosecution team and East Alton Police Department, which responded to the call and conducted the investigation.

“This home invasion could easily have ended with someone being seriously injured or killed, including the defendant himself, had the homeowner not exercised incredible restraint,” Haine said. “I commend the police for their investigation and our prosecution team for their work in holding this offender accountable for a crime that put lives at enormous risk.”

The woman who resided at the home provided a victim-impact statement to the Court. She said she has difficulty sleeping and feels unsafe in her home.

“One of the hardest parts is knowing that our daughter could have been home that night,” she told the Court. “Thankfully, she wasn't, but I still think about what could have happened. Since then, I have carried an overwhelming fear for her safety, and no child should have to be at risk of experiencing something like this in their own home.”