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Arson arrest made for Macoupin County fires
The man supposedly behind the Macoupin County fires is finally behind bars and faces 11 different counts including four counts of aggravated arson, six counts of arson, and one count of criminal damage to property. The arrest was made in Gillespie on Tuesday evening, March 17, after a 10th fire was started earlier the same day.
The defendant is identified as Christopher Walker, 30, of Carlinville but also has ties to Gillespie. He is being held at the Macoupin County Jail without a bond.
Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl told TheBenGilPost.com Walker was arrested in Gillespie around 10 p.m. on Tuesday by the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Kahl credited the arrest to the task force he created last week.
“The task force was comprised of the sheriff’s office, the State Fire Marshal’s office, Illinois State Police, Secretary of State Police, and Carlinville Police Department,” Sheriff Kahl commented. “We had multiple leads and Walker was a suspect. Last night the leads led to putting Walker in custody.”
There have been 10 fires deemed arson-related with six occurring in March. The first fire started on January 26 and the latest one was started Tuesday evening, March 17, when first responders were called to an abandoned house on fire on Illinois Route 4 near Lake Williamson between Gillespie and Carlinville.
The fires allegedly set by Walker include seven hay barn fires, one open hay fire, and two abandoned houses. The fires haven’t been in close proximity either. Two fires were south of Carlinville, two were east of Gillespie, one was west of Carlinville, two were north of Carlinville, two were north of Mt. Olive, and one was northeast of Carlinville.
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
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