EAST ALTON, Illinois — An Alton man who pleaded guilty to attempted murder in connection with a shooting last year outside an East Alton, Illinois, ice rink also faces charges of attempted murder in Nevada and California.
Berton L. Newton approached two women—a mother and daughter—on the parking lot of the rink last January and for a light for a cigarette.
When they said they didn’t have one, Newton walked away before returning a brief time later and firing a shot that struck both women.
The daughter, in a victim-impact statement, recalled seeing that the bullet had passed through her mother’s leg.
“Oh, it’s bad, it hit my femoral artery!” the older woman said. “I’m going to see Jesus now.”
The daughter said her mother survived the shooting in part because of quick help from people at the scene, adding she has managed to forgive Newton, because not forgiving him “gives you space in my life, space that you don’t deserve.”
Newton, who also was originally charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Using cell phone data, East Alton police linked Newton, 31, to a December 2021 shooting and armed robbery in Las Vegas and a double shooting in Fresno, California, in January 2022.
In November, prosecutors in Clark County, Nevada, charged Newton with two counts of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon, two counts of use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm and one count of robbery with use of a deadly weapon.
Also in November, Fresno County, California, prosecutors charged Newton with one count of attempted willful, deliberate premeditated murder and one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling.
Newton and his girlfriend, Amber D. Golliday, 34, were also linked to another shooting in unincorporated Madison County a day after the shooting at the ice rink.
In that case, Newton was charged with home invasion and armed robbery, unlawful possession of weapons by a felon and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Golliday was charged with home invasion, armed robbery and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon.
In September, Golliday pleaded guilty to the home invasion charge and received a sentence of 10 years.
A charge of obstructing justice against Golliday related to the pair's arrest is still pending.