Shooting death is subject of suit against Sheriff's Dept., deputy

An Edwardsville woman is suing the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and deputy Bill Marconi over the shooting death of her husband Barry Cloninger at their residence on Jan. 4, 2013.

Teri Cloninger claims that Marconi had no grounds to suspect her husband had violated any law when he “fired his service weapon into Decedent numerous times, and he died as a result of said wounds.”

The suit claims the incident occurred while Marconi was responding to a call at a neighbor’s residence at 7111 State Route 140. He allegedly saw and followed footprints that led to the Cloninger’s residence at 7119 State Route 140.

“That Officer Marconi went onto Decedent’s property and at no time did Officer Marconi identify himself as a Sheriff’s Deputy to Decedent or anyone else on the property,” the suit states.

The complaint does not describe the reason Marconi was responding to the neighbor’s residence, however a news report states that occupants of 7111 State Route 140 called authorities after smelling charcoal lighter fluid in their home that uses a wood burning stove for heat. They suspected that someone had poured it down the chimney, according to an article in the Alton Telegraph.

The article further describes animosity between the neighbors and a property ownership dispute.

Teri Cloninger is represented by East Alton attorney Edward Unsell and is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages for herself and a daughter Ashley Brimer.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-10