Haine Announces 12-year Prison Term For Man Who Kicked His Way Into Sleeping Couple’s Home

EDWARDSVILLE — An East Alton man who kicked his way into a couple’s home and fought with an armed resident was sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, to 12 years in prison for home invasion, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced.

Associate Judge Neil Schroeder sentenced Jesse E. Stewart, 42, after he was found guilty at an August 2026 trial of home invasion, a Class X felony.

According to evidence and testimony, the couple awoke July 4, 2025, when they heard someone inside their East Alton home. The male resident grabbed a gun as the intruder entered the bedroom but did not fire it.

The intruder and the male resident fought until police arrived and took Stewart into custody. The female resident had called 911. Neither resident knew Stewart or had any connection with him.

At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Morgan Hudson, chief of the office’s criminal division, requested a 15-year prison sentence. She argued that Stewart’s refusal to leave, even with a gun pointed at him, made the crime highly dangerous.

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

The woman who lived at the home told the court in a victim-impact statement that 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 said. “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.”

Haine said the sentence holds Stewart accountable for invading the home and violating the residents’ sense of security.

“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.”

Hudson prosecuted the case with Assistant State’s Attorney Cole Bradshaw, chief of the office’s misdemeanor/traffic division. Haine commended the prosecutors and the East Alton Police Department, which responded to the call and investigated.

“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.