Nicholas Troy Sheley Killing Spree
Nicholas Troy Sheley, 28, from Sterling, Illinois, was arrested on July 1, 2008, after being sought in a multi-state manhunt, in connection with a home invasion and then suspected of eight murders in a killing spree in Illinois and Missouri, as he fled.
Sheley (Shee-lee) was sitting in Bindy's Bar in Granite City, when two different patrons recognized him from the manhunt photos shown on TV, and then called the police.
Illinois State Police, the FBI, and the St. Louis Major Crimes Task Force arrested Sheley without incident, in the parking lot outside of Bindy's on Tuesday evening around 7:00 pm, when he stepped out to have a cigarette.
In an affidavit from Special Agent Susan Hanson of the FBI, a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Nicholas T. Sheley for the crime of home invasion, on June 14, 2008, in Sterling Illinois. The victim had identified a photo from an array of photographs that were presented to her.
Sheley forced his way into the 90-year-old woman's home in Whiteside County in northern Illinois, took some money and forced her to write out checks.
Sheley went on the run, after the crime, to Iowa, and then to Missouri. He called his wife in Sterling when he was at a rest area between Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa.
A gas station attendant in Galesburg, Illinois, identified Sheley as being at the gas station with blood on him.
He stole a truck that was later recovered on June 30, in Festus, Missouri with his fingerprints on it.
On June 26, the body of 93-year-old Russell Reed, of Sterling, Sheley's home town, was found stuffed in the trunk of a car, beaten to death.
At a court hearing Tuesday, July 1, in Whiteside County, testimony indicated that Sheley's brother, Josh, and a cousin, Jenna B. Henson, both of Sterling, drove with Nicholas Sheley on June 25 to Chicago, allegedly to dispose of evidence from Reed's slaying.
A day before, Josh Sheley allegedly contacted Henson and asked her to park Reed's 2003 Buick Century in her driveway, according to testimony. Authorities later found the car with the man's body in the trunk in Henson's driveway.
Authorities have charged Josh J. Sheley, Henson and Sheley's cousin, Eric A. Smith, 28, with obstructing justice.
On Monday, June 30, police discovered the bodies of two men, a woman and a child in an apartment on a street of single-family homes in nearby Rock Falls. Investigators believe they likely died late Saturday or early Sunday.
Sheley was acquainted with the male victims, Brock Branson and Kenneth Ulvey, both in their 20s, said Illinois State Police Region and Commander Mark Maton. Police did not identify the woman or child.
Thebodies of Tom and Jill Estes of Sherwood, Ark., were found Monday behind a gas station in Festus, said Bill Baker, with the St. Louis Area Major Case Squad.
The couple had checked into a Comfort Inn in Festus on Friday and were last seen late Sunday. Their dogs were found in the hotel parking lot, unharmed but covered with blood. These innocent people were visiting, to attend a graduation and family reunion.
Earlier Tuesday, July 1, the Galesburg Police Department had obtained an arrest warrant for Sheley in the killing of Ronald A. Randall, a 65-year-old retiree whom authorities said Sheley confronted at a Galesburg car wash Saturday.
In a prepared statement Tuesday the FBI said all eight victims were killed by "blunt force trauma" to the head. A law-enforcement source said an ax was used in one or more of the homicides, and that method led authorities to begin linking the crimes.
The FBI and Illinois State Police declined to elaborate.
Public records show Sheley has multiple convictions for robbery, drugs and weapons charges and has spent three years in prison.
Resources...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-nicholas-sheley-080701,0,7671257.story
http://www.wpde.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=153790
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080702/ap_on_re_us/bodies_found No longer available
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/01/killing.spree/
http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=149154&catid=3
Warrants and Affidavits...
Warrant PDF
Be sure to read the "Katfish Ponders" Blog about this case! Katfish plans to attend the trial.
http://katfishponders.blogspot.com/search/label/Nicholas%20Sheley
UPDATES
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09/19/08
Nicholas Troy Sheley Indicted For Four More Murders
Nicholas Troy Sheley Update
Nicholas Troy Sheley went on a killing spree in late June and early July this year killing eight people along his way. Sheley was indicted on 4 more counts of murder Thursday.
The indictment consists of 15 counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Kilynna L. Blake, 20, Dayan K. Blake, 2, Brock A. Branson, 29, and Kenneth R. Ulve, 25. Three of the 15 counts allege that one of the victims was younger than 12 years of age and his death resulted from exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty. The State’s Attorney has 120 days after arraignment to file a Notice of Intent to Seek or Decline the Death Penalty, according to Supreme Court Rule 416.
Mr. Sheley was indicted recently in Knox County or the murder of Ronald Randall of Galesburg. Knox County authorities are seeking the death penalty.
Whiteside County earlier indicted him on first-degree murder charges for the death of Russell Reed, 93 of Sterling, and for the home invasion of a 90-year-old Sterling, Ill., woman.
Read resource details...
http://www.ag.state.il.us/pressroom/2008_09/20080918.html
http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=405153
08/07/08
Pretrial October 6, 2008
Nicholas Sheley, facing 17 charges in connection with the murder of a Galesburg man, pleaded not guilty in Knox County Circuit Court Wednesday.
Public Defender Jim Harrell entered the plea on behalf of Nicholas T. Sheley, 29, and also demanded a jury trial. Sheley is suspected of kidnapping 65-year-old Ronald Randall, hijacking his truck, stealing his wallet and killing him June 28 in Galesburg. He is also suspected of bludgeoning to death eight people in June. He is charged in three of those deaths.
07/04/08
More charges to come
Nicholas T. Sheley update
According to news reports, Nicholas T. Sheley had contacted his lawyer, James Mertes, just minutes before he was arrested outside of Bindy's bar, in Granite City. The call was made from a nearby Subway shop.
A Knox County judge in Galesburg on Thursday upheld a $1 million bond during a court appearance on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, vehicle hijacking and theft in the beating death of 65-year-old Ronald Randall.
Sheley had been transferred earlier in the day from Madison County east of St. Louis, where he was held since his arrest, to the Knox County Jail. In court Wednesday, Sheley had said he couldn't afford to post bail.
South of St. Louis, Jefferson County prosecutors said they probably would decide next week whether to charge Sheley in the killings of an Arkansas couple, whose bodies were found Monday behind a gas station in a St. Louis suburb.
Tom and Jill Estes were attacked when they climbed out of their Corvette after leaving a graduation party, Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis told the AP on Thursday.
Police said Sheley didn't take their car, instead loading the bodies into a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado traced to Ronald Randall, a man who Sheley confronted at a car wash and allegedly killed.
"You had droplets of blood we literally followed for a mile and a half on foot," Police Chief Tim Lewis said.
Read story details...
http://www.examiner.com/a-1471919~Details_emerge_in_capture_of_killing_spree_suspect.html?cid=rss-US No longer available
Prosecutors have 120 days from Sheley’s arrest to file an intent to seek the death penalty. If they decide to pursue the death penalty, another member of the Capital Litigation Trial Bar would be appointed to assist in Sheley’s defense.
Sheley sat emotionless and occasionally whispered to his attorney during the proceedings. As Sheley was led out of the second floor courtroom by court security, a woman who claimed to be Sheley’s ex-wife Monica Rodriguez, shouted, “Anything you want to say to your kids?” The woman was asked to leave the courthouse and sped off in her car without speaking to the media.
The temporary order to preserve evidence was extended by an agreed order.
Sheley remains held in the Knox County jail on a $10 million bond, meaning Sheley would need $1 million to get out of jail.
The case is continued for a pre-trial hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 6.
Resource.....
http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1371371516/Sheley-pleads-not-guilty