McDonough County courts resolved several high-profile murder cases and other major crimes in 2025, bringing closure to cases that had been pending for months or years.
The year started off with the murder of a Canton man.
Nicholas D. Pratt, 33, of Ipava, was arrested and charged with first degree murder for the alleged murder of Levi Blair, 39, of Canton. Pratt was handing off his two daughters to his wife in downtown Lewistown when he allegedly shot and killed Blair on New Year’s Eve. Pratt had met up with his wife, Annabelle, to hand off the two girls to her. When the wife got out of the truck, Pratt walked over and allegedly shot the Canton man. Pratt, who faces up to life in prison if convicted of all charges, remains lodged. A pre-trial is set for April 10 in Knox County, with a jury trial set for May 4.
Cheyenna Decker, 23, was found shot to death in her Colchester apartment on Jan. 21. The 35-year-old male responsible for her death later died by suicide four months later in his Coal Street apartment, which was in the same complex as Decker's. The Southeastern High School graduate was killed at approximately 9:15 a.m. Jan. 21, and she was found in her apartment by her mother at 1:30 p.m. that same day. Decker died of a single gunshot wound to the head, while she was laying in her bed.
On Jan. 28, McDonough County Circuit Court Judge Nigel Graham sentenced Davin Purden, 19, of Bushnell, to 30 years in prison for murdering his father, Travis, in 2023. Purden had been held in the McDonough County Jail since his June 5, 2023 arrest. Purden, and Nicholas Lafary, 18, also of Bushnell, went to the Bushnell home of Travis Purden on June 2, 2023 and killed the 43-year-old. During the afternoon hours of June 2, the elder Purden was found deceased in his home as a result of being shot several times in the face.
In late February, Jesse Pickrel of Bushnell was sentenced to the maximum sentence of five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. In a Jan. 8 jury trial, Pickrel was found guilty of attempted aggravated battery to a police officer and aggravated assault of a police officer. The 33-year-old was originally charged with multiple counts of aggravated domestic battery (strangulation, bodily harm), use of a deadly weapon, attempted murder with intent to kill, aggravated battery of a peace officer and aggravated assault of a peace officer/firefighter/EMT after charging (former) McDonough County Sheriff Deputy Chris Butcher with an ax following a domestic battery call to a Bushnell residence Oct. 19, 2023. Pickrel was found not guilty of attempted murder.
On April 7, Dylan Lovato, 26, of Beach Park, IL, was found guilty and sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder of his friend and former fraternity brother, Ivan Almanza. Lovato shot Almanza in the head while he was sleeping in a Macomb apartment in March 2023. He was found guilty Aug. 1, 2024 following a jury trial; however, at the original sentencing on Oct. 29, 2024, his attorney filed an objection to the firearm enhancement charges, as well as a motion for a new trial. Both motions were later denied.
On April 23, Jamil A. Purnell, who evaded capture after kidnapping his ex-girlfriend's three-year-old son March 26 from the 400 block of North Charles Street, was captured by U.S. Marshals and returned to Macomb. Purnell had entered the residence without the mother’s consent, took the child, and fled the area. The Illinois State Police Troop 3 and Chicago Police Department assisted in locating and recovering the child from a residence in Chicago, IL. Purnell fled the scene and evaded capture for nearly one month.
In early May, the Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel, with the aid of Macomb Police Department officers, captured a man who allegedly murdered a federal witness in Kentucky. Delrico Nelson (aka BoJack), 48, of Macomb, was taken into custody without incident. Nelson, along with two other men in Louisville, KY could face the death penalty or life in prison for allegedly murdering a federal witness.
The May 24 suicide of a Colchester man was determined to be linked to the Jan. 21 shooting death of Cheyenna Decker in her Colchester apartment. At a press conference a few months after the suicide, McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout said he is “99.9% certain” that Eric M. Warren-Spears was the person who shot and killed the 23-year-old Decker. Evidence – including cell phones, clothing, bullet fragments and more – was collected, and investigators learned he had been searching for information about Decker a few days before he murdered her. Before he could be charged, he died by suicide.
Near the end of May, Portia Garrison of Macomb, who was arrested for stabbing death of her husband, 28-year-old Ricky Haymer, was found guilty of second- degree murder and sentenced to four years in prison, to be served at 50 percent. With credit for the 844 days served in the McDonough County Jail, Garrison was released on probation. Garrison, 30, was originally charged with first-degree murder for stabbing her husband, Haymer, at their home in Macomb Feb. 7, 2023.
On July 15, McDonough County Circuit Court Judge Nigel Graham sentenced Nicholas Lafary, 19, of Bushnell, who took part in the murder of his friend's father, Travis Purden, over two years ago, to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections following a plea agreement to amended charges.
On July 25, police were called to a home in the 600 block of North Randolph Street where they discovered that 21-year-old Bryson Saddoris of Macomb had been shot to death following an alleged meth-fueled dispute. Sean Hayes, 37, and Morgan Bearce, 24, were arrested and charged with first degree murder; however, Hayes was later released. Bearce remains lodged in the McDonough County Jail and has pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial.
Nearly three weeks after his arrest, on Aug. 19, McDonough County State's Attorney Matt Kwacala dismissed first-degree murder charges against Sean Hayes, freeing him from jail in connection with the July 25 killing of 21-year-old Bryson Saddoris following several days of reported methamphetamine use. Hayes was originally fingered as the individual who initially shot Saddoris, but because Hayes' involvement could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the state's attorney was forced to dismiss the charges and release the 13-time felon.
On Aug. 20, Walker Madison, 30, of Bardolph, was sentenced to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for delivery of methamphetamine (15<100 grams). Four other meth-related charges and seven weapons charges were dismissed. He originally pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. Madison was arrested following a traffic stop Feb. 26 at 3:01 a.m. on Highway 95 in New Philadelphia. Following a positive alert for illegal narcotics by a K9 officer, a probable cause search was conducted and 25.23 grams of methamphetamine was confiscated. This led deputies to obtain a search warrant for Madison's Bardolph residence where drug paraphernalia, packaging materials and seven firearms were seized. Madison was originally charged with seven counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver 15-100 grams; possession of methamphetamine 15-100 grams, and three counts of delivery of methamphetamine.
Oliver Hoffman, 19, of Canton, pleaded guilty in McDonough County Circuit Court Sept. 22 to two charges stemming from an October 2024 incident in which the Fulton County teen fatally shot four bulls in McDonough County. He was sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with credit for time served (329 days in the McDonough County Jail).
On Oct. 16, 42-year-old Timothy Smith of Macomb was sentenced to 50 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the beating death of his cellmate, Darrell Hocker, 50, in the McDonough County Jail on Nov. 8, 2023. In August, during a re-trial after the initial trial in June was declared a mistrial, Smith was found guilty (but mentally ill) of first-degree murder. Smith, who was 40 at the time, and Hocker were both being held on domestic battery charges at the time of their respective arrests. On Oct. 21, Smith was removed from the isolation cell and placed in a cell with Hocker. After hearing noise and yelling, jailers returned to the pod after completing their rounds about 1 a.m. where they found Smith standing over Hocker. Autopsy reports later stated that he died from blunt force trauma and injuries sustained to the head and neck.
