Pre-trial conferences were held last month for three individuals who remain lodged in the county jail.
Morgan Bearce appeared Nov. 3 for a status hearing in which it was determined he remained detained in the McDonough County Jail.
The 24-year-old Macomb man has been charged with first-degree murder in the July 29 shooting death of 21-year-old Bryson Saddoris at 625 N. Randolph St. The case has been continued to Jan. 8. Bearce has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
Keianna Miller, 38, of Macomb, appeared McDonough County Circuit Court Oct. 28 for a pre-trial hearing for aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon stemming from a June 6 clash in which she allegedly stabbed a man in a domestic incident.
Miller has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
Another pre-trial hearing will be held in December.
Shaiking Mathis' case continued in McDonough County Circuit Court. At a hearing on Oct. 14, a motion to quash and suppress was denied. A motion to suppress seeks to exclude certain evidence from being presented at trial. This motion is typically filed when the defense believes the evidence was obtained illegally or in violation of the defendant's constitutional rights. If granted, the evidence cannot be used against the defendant during the trial. Mathis, who is accused of shooting two Macomb police officers who were serving a search warrant at his Macomb home Sept.
4, will have another pre-trial appearance set for December. 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. Mathis has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
The mother of convicted murdered Davin Purden, Patricia Purden of Bushnell, appeared Oct. 28 on charges of obstruction of justice/ destroying evidence in the June 2, 2023 shooting death of Travis Purden, 43, of Bushnell. She is free on $50,000 bond. Another pre-trial has been set for December Bearce
Police reported Bearce admitted shooting Saddoris six times with a revolver, claiming he fired the additional shots to “put the victim out of his misery' after the initial gunshot. A second man, Sean Hayes, was initially arrested but was released a few weeks later after charges were dropped by McDonough County State's Attorney Matt Kwacala, who said there was new evidence that supported Hayes' release. Authorities stated all three (Bearce, Saddoris and Hayes) were smoking methamphetamine at Bearce's Randolph Street home at the time of the incident. Hayes initially denied involvement in the shooting but reportedly had admitted to photographing Saddoris' body and cleaning the crime scene.
Bearce claims that he was in another room of the home when he heard a gunshot in his kitchen. He told police he found Hayes in the kitchen standing over Saddoris, holding a shotgun. He then allegedly handed Bearce a revolver and instructed him to put the victim out of his misery. Bearce admitted to emptying the revolver on the victim. The crime was discovered a few days later when police descended on the home as Bearce loaded a car with drugs and guns.
He initially told police that it was 'Sean's mess' in the laundry room. The crime was brought to the attention of law enforcement after Hayes allegedly posted a photo on social media of Saddoris following the shooting 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. During her initial detention hearing, Public Defender Scott Terry requested the continuance for June 9 after learning Miller also has two pending cases in Marion County, IN. Records from mycase.In.gov show that the pending charges include an alleged November 2024 incident for 'battery resulting in moderate bodily injury' and 'disorderly conduct: engaging in fighting or tumultuous conduct' and a reported March 2025 for 'identity deception' and 'operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.'
Mathis
Following extensive negotiations and a 20-hour standoff with law enforcement, Mathis, 39, of 309 N. Normal St., surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. Sept. 5. 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.
At the initial detention hearing Sept. 6, the state's attorney shared after Mathis' arrest, a search of the home was conducted and police found two firearms and several rounds of live ammunition. Mathis, who has been convicted of felonies in Kenosha, WI (2004) and Cook County (2010), is not allowed by law to possess firearms.
Purden
On Jan. 28, Davin Purden, 19, who murdered his father, Travis, was sentenced to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be served at 100 percent. On July 15, his friend, Nicholas Lafary, 19, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder, a Class I felony, and was sentenced to the maximum prison term, with credit for 771 days served.
On June 2, 2023, Purden and Lafary went to the Bushnell residence of Travis Purden and killed shot him to death. Later that day, the elder Purden was found deceased as a result of being shot several times in the face. There were no signs of forced entry, and surveillance cameras in the Bushnell trailer park showed (Davin) Purden and Lafary entering and leaving residence. (Davin) Purden later admitted in court that he and Lafary were at his father's trailer, and that he went to the home with the intention of killing his father.
