The Alphonso Knight stabbing case came to a close Friday when Anthony Hawks pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to six years in prison.

At the DeKalb County Courthouse, Hawks, whose last address was 1315 W. Lincoln Hwy., Stadium View Apartments #304, waived his right to a court trial by pleading guilty to the Class-X felony of attempted murder with intent to kill.

Hawks stabbed former NIU student Alphonso Knight on March 21 in Grant Towers South.

As of Friday, Knight had been recently moved out of the intensive care unit at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, but he still remains at the hospital, said Michael Coghlan, DeKalb County State’s Attorney. Knight has lost 60 pounds since the stabbing, but when Coghlan recently spoke with Knight, he was said to be “lucid and coherent.”

In addition to the attempted murder sentence, Hawks also received a four-year sentence for residential burglary. The two prison terms will be served at the same time, so Hawks actually will serve a total of six years, Coghlan said. However, Hawks could be out of jail in three years with good behavior. At that time, Hawks would get a four-year parole period.

Hawks has been in the custody of the DeKalb County Sheriff since April for the burglary charge, Coghlan said. The residential burglary was committed by Hawks in June 1991 and is unrelated to the attempted murder.

Coghlan said the attempted murder was not gang related. However, he also said Hawks had been in a gang in the past and the “bad habits associated with gangs probably carried over to this offense.”

In Hawks’ Friday court appearance, a plea agreement was made with Coghlan which dropped a charge of aggravated battery when Hawks pleaded guilty. In that charge, Hawks had shot his brother in the buttocks last October in DeKalb.

As of Friday, Hawks had served 45 days which will be applied to his six-year sentence, Coghlan said.

The sentence for attempted murder can range from six to 30 years, Coghlan said.

Prior to Hawks’ sentences, he had no previous convictions. He will be incarcerated at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Earlier this summer, Hawks pleaded innocent to the attempted murder.