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Susanne Tomlinson’s home following a deadly fire set by Michael E. Sloan Jr. (KSDK screenshot). Inset: Michael E. Sloan Jr. (Madison County (Ill.) State’s Attorney’s Office)
A 41-year-old man in Illinois will likely spend the remainder of his days behind bars for killing his girlfriend’s mother in horrific fashion two years ago, dousing the 69-year-old woman and her house in gasoline, setting the home on fire, and watching as she burned alive.
Third Judicial Circuit Court Judge Neil T. Schroeder on Monday ordered Michael E. Sloan Jr. to a sentence of 50 years in a state correctional facility for the slaying of Susanne Tomlinson, authorities announced.
Sloan in January entered into an open plea agreement — meaning there was no predetermined sentence — in which he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder in Susan Tomlinson’s death. Under state law, Sloan will be required to serve 100% of his prison term with no chance for parole, meaning he will be 91 before he is eligible to be released.
Prosecutors had been pushing Schroeder to hand down the maximum sentence to Sloan throughout the legal proceedings and continued to do so on Monday.
“This sentence, which is effectively a life sentence, brings accountability for the heinous and cruel actions committed by the defendant against an innocent life,” Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine said following Monday’s sentencing hearing. “This sentence reflects the gravity of the crime, the impact it had on the victim’s family, and the unwavering commitment of the State’s Attorney’s Office to protect the innocent. Our prayer is that this sentence helps the victim’s family navigate the difficult path of healing after their profound loss.”
According to a news release, Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Maricle, chief of the Violent Crimes Unit for the State’s Attorney’s Office, told the court that Sloan initially tried to burn his then-girlfriend Courtney Tomlinson alive, but she managed to escape. She said Sloan then “decided to hurt her in another way,” which he ultimately accomplished when he “burned Susanne Tomlinson alive.”
As previously reported by Law&Crime, officers with the Troy Police Department in September 2022 responded to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance at the duplex where Sloan resided Courtney Tomlinson in a suburban area about four hours south of Chicago.
Prior to setting the fire, Sloan allegedly ordered Courtney to “bind herself with zip-ties on her wrists” then covered her with gasoline while “holding a knife to her throat and stating that he was going to kill her.”
“He grabbed the gas can, opened up my bathroom door and threw it in my face,” Courtney said in a 2022 interview. “I couldn’t see. I was rinsing out my eyes. I have chemical burns on my chest. He had the lighter lit, but he couldn’t throw it on me for some reason. I was doused in gasoline.”
She reiterated those moments while reading an emotional victim impact statement on Monday in which she referred to Sloan as “an absolute monster,” the Bellville News-Democrat reported.
“I’ll never forget the words you said that day: ‘B—-, I’m going to kill you. How could you be so hateful? Did you ever love me?” she reportedly said. “How would you feel if somebody did that to your mother?”
Courtney Tomlinson also reportedly told the court that she has reoccurring nightmares of her mother shrieking in pain as Sloan “burned her alive.”
Courtney was eventually able to get free of her restraints and flee to a neighbor’s home, where she told them to call 911. Meanwhile, Sloan was walking to Courtney’s mother’s home — just a few houses down from their duplex — holding the can of gasoline.
Prosecutors said that “moments after” police arrived on the scene, a “large fire erupted” at Susanne’s home while she was still inside. Flames and heavy smoke quickly engulfed the residence, hindering first responder’s attempts to get inside.
“He set her on fire. He tortured her, and then, he doused himself,” she said.
Firefighters managed to pull Sloan from the blaze. He was transported to a St. Louis area hospital for treatment. He remained there for several weeks before he was booked into jail.
An autopsy determined that Susanne’s cause of death was smoke inhalation and burn injuries, the release states.
Given a chance to address the court, Sloan reportedly apologized for his actions.
“I caused the death of another person,” he said, per the News-Democrat. “I know it was wrong. I wish I could go back in time and change what happened, but I can’t.”
