Breaking News
Human remains found by kids near Royal Lakes pending DNA tests
UPDATE: The St. Louis Major Case Squad was deactivated Friday afternoon. Sheriff Kahl said he is optimistic that his department will have charges on a suspect in the upcoming weeks.
Skeletal human remains of an adult male were found Monday afternoon, February 15, by children playing near a creek along Illinois State Route 159 just south of Royal Lakes and are pending DNA tests. Authorities were notified of the discovery of the remains shortly after children noticed the bones around 3:30 p.m. Police immediately claimed the person was the victim of a homicide based on the overwhelming evidence at the scene.
The St. Louis Major Case Squad was activated immediately with the assistance of two investigators from the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl said the department also has two other investigators helping on an as needed basis. The Case Squad was deactivated Friday afternoon, Kahl announced on Facebook.
“I have stayed with the investigation the entire time,” Kahl told us on Wednesday. “Our department will stay active until the Major Case Squad has ended their investigation. The investigation will be handed back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department once the Major Case Squad has concluded their investigation.”
Kahl said he is optimistic that his department will have charges on a suspect in the upcoming weeks.
Captain Mike Dixon, who is leading the investigation, said on Friday authorities have a “strong belief” the remains are of Joseph Wilson who went missing in April 2012. Wilson was 24 years of age when reported missing and was a mentally disabled African-American man who lived in Royal Lakes.
An examination of the bones conducted by a forensic pathologist and an Illinois State Police anthropologist suggested the remains were those of an African-American man. If the DNA tests confirm Dixon’s statement, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department will carry out the investigation into who was involved with the homicide.
Sheriff Kahl also said in his post Friday evening that he is optimistic that his department will have charges on the suspect who killed Wilson in the upcoming weeks.
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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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