JEFFERSON COUNTY — A 31-year-old Walnut Hill woman was sentenced Tuesday in Jefferson County Court to 3-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after she earlier filed an open plea of guilty to a felony burglary charge.

Ashley K. Dennis was arrested in April 2017 with her then 50-year-old boyfriend Mark A. Linkon, also of Walnut Hill, for the alleged burglary of a shed on Dix/Irvington Road.

Dennis filed the open plea in August and was released a few days later on a recognizance bond. She failed to appear, however, at a November hearing and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

She was picked up on that warrant in February and has remained in the Jefferson County Jail since that time.

She’s still facing felony charges in Wabash and Marion Counties.

Linkon remains in the Jefferson County Jail. A Jefferson County jury found him guilty last summer of the burglary charge, but Linkon attempted to flee the courthouse following the verdict.

A bona fide doubt has been raised in court as to Linkon’s mental fitness to stand trial and a mental fitness examination has been ordered.

A status hearing on his fitness and multiple remaining cases against him in Jefferson County is scheduled for April 26.

Linkon made local headlines in 2015 when he attempted to take out orders of protection against a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department.

According to Marion County court records, Linkon initially claimed deputies burned his house down, then claimed they set his Jeep on fire, but when he appeared in front of Judge Marc Kelly said he was tired of being arrested.

Judge Kelly denied Linkon’s requests as there as he has no family or household connection to the deputy and there is no basis in law for filing an order of protection against a governmental agency.