Several pre-trial conferences were held in mid-July for five individuals, four of whom remain lodged in the county jail.
Keianna Miller, 38, of Macomb, appeared McDonough County Circuit Court July 16 for a pre-trial hearing on aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges stemming from a June 6 incident in Macomb in which she allegedly stabbed a man. The case has been continued to Aug. 5. Miller has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. She remains lodged in the McDonough County Jail.
Walker Madison, 30, of Bardolph, who was arrested following an early morning traffic stop Feb. 26 in rural McDonough County, appeared July 16, with his case continued to Aug. 6. Madison has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
Oliver Hoffman, 18, of Canton, again refused to participate in a July 1 hearing, and the case has been continued to an Aug. 5 pre-trial conference. The judge also determined that continued detention was necessary. Hoffman has plead not guilty and requested a jury trial. He is currently being held on one count of manufacturing/selling/importing assault weapons; four counts of animal torture; one count of possession of expired/ineligible Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card; one count of criminal damage/domestic animals $10,000-$100,000; one count of unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle; and two counts of aggravated assault/use a deadly weapon after the teen purportedly shot four bulls in rural McDonough County Oct. 28, 2024 and later purportedly brandished a pistol during a road rage incident in Macomb one day later.
Shaiking Mathis' ongoing case continued in McDonough County Circuit Court. On July 16, it was determined that detention remains necessary and the case was continued to an August 5 pre-trial conference. At a May 20 pre-trial hearing the 38-year-old took a delay on the speedy trial act. Mathis is accused of shooting two Macomb police officers who were serving a warrant at his Macomb residence Sept. 4, 2024. He remains lodged Patricia Purden, the mother of Davin Purden, who was sentenced earlier this year to 30 years in prison for murdering his father, Travis Purden over two years ago in Bushnell, has been charged with obstruction of justice/ destroying evidence. She is free on $50,000 bond. Her status hearing was held July 9, with her case continued to Sept. 3.
Miller
On June 6, Maurice Clay, 56, reported to police the told Miller to leave his residence about 3 a.m.; however, when he woke up at 5 a.m., he allegedly found she had returned to the home and was removing items from the refrigerator. After being told again to leave the residence, she purportedly stabbed Clay in the chest, back and left arm. He was taken to McDonough District Hospital where he was treated and released. Records indicate that Miller had also been removed by police from the residence, at Clay's request, May 25 and June 1.
Madison
Following a traffic stop Feb. 26 at 3:01 a.m. on Highway 95 in New Philadelphia, a McDonough County Sheriff's Office deputy observed indicators of criminal activity, and K9 Vamos was called to the scene. Following a positive alert for illegal narcotics, a probable cause search was conducted and 25.23 grams of methamphetamine was confiscated. This led deputies to obtain a search warrant for Walker's Bardolph residence at 207 E. Poplar St. where drug paraphernalia, packaging materials and seven firearms were seized. Madison has been charged with seven counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (Class 3 felonies); possession of methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver 15-100 grams (Class X felony); possession of methamphetamine 15-100 grams (Class 1 felony), and three counts of delivery of methamphetamine under m grams (Class 2 felonies).
Hoffman
It was a road rage incident on East Jackson Street that led to Hoffman's arrest for allegedly shooting four bulls belonging to Eric McKee, which then resulted in charges of manufacturing weapons and other charges after police searched Hoffman's Macomb apartment and found evidence that he was making assault weapons and attachments using 3D technology. Shell casings, live ammunition, a homemade (3D printed) lower rifle and shotgun attachments, a shotgun and two handguns, which were believed to be linked to the livestock shooting, were found in Hoffman's pick-up truck after police stopped him Oct. 29, 2024 following the traffic incident.
Hoffman admitted to shooting the bulls, valued at $20,000, sometime during Oct. 28, according to the McDonough County Sheriff's Department. Around 2:30 p.m. Oct. 29, the sheriff's office received a call regarding four bulls that had been shot while they were in a pasture on North 1450th Rd., just east of Bardolph. Two of the animals were dead, while the other two bulls were mortally injured and had to be euthanized.
Mathis
Following extensive negotiations and a 20-hour standoff with law enforcement, Mathis, of 309 N. Normal St., surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. Sept. 5. He has been charged with four counts of aggravated battery to a police officer, one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon after he allegedly shot and injured Det. Nick Severs and Sgt. J.P. McLaughlin, who, along with other Macomb Police Department (MPD) officers, were serving a search warrant for a sexual assault, which purportedly took place at the home earlier that day.
