Three individuals remain lodged awaiting trial recently had pre-trial hearings in McDonough County Court.
Morgan Bearce remains detained in the McDonough County Jail. The 24-year old Macomb man has been charged with first-degree murder charges 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 Dec. 16 for a pretrial 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 Dec. 16, a pre-trial motion was filed. 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. His next appearance will be set for February.
The mother of convicted murderer Davin Purden, Patricia Purden of Bushnell, appeared Dec. 12 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. A continued hearing motion was filed. Purden's next appearance will be set for February.
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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 the 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.
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 time 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.
