Son Found Guilty of Murdering His Mother

April 4, 2025, Peoria, IL - Today, Peoria County Chief Judge Katherine Gorman found 18-year-old Avion L. Tapia guilty of Second-Degree Murder in the strangulation death of his mother, Vanessa Tucker, in August 2023.

During the two-day bench trial, Tapia admitted to strangling his mother during an argument but claimed he acted in self-defense as the two had a volatile history, which included instances of abuse and threats against his life by his mother. Tucker had previously pleaded guilty to domestic violence against Tapia, and in September 2019, DCFS was named his guardian. Despite this, Tapia would occasionally stay at his mother's apartment.

The State proceeded on the First-Degree Murder charges due to Tapia's statements to police as well as findings from the autopsy that supported this charge. During the trial, the forensic pathologist testified that it would have taken 4 to 5 minutes of continuous, forceful pressure-more if there was a struggle-to cause Tucker's death. Additionally, Tucker had injuries that included hemorrhages on her face and mouth, as well as petechiae on her inner eyelids and mouth. These injuries indicated that pressure had been applied not only to her neck but also to her mouth and nose, suggesting she was both strangled and smothered. The judge thought Tapia believed he needed to use deadly force to defend himself, but that belief was unreasonable. Therefore, he was found guilty of second-degree murder.

At the time of the murder, Tapia was 17 years old, and the case was automatically transferred to adult felony court. Sentencing is set for June 4.

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