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2010-03-10T17:48:27-06:00

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Update on Kraig Monroe

2010-03-05T15:19:41-06:00

March 5^th, 2010, 3:00 PM

Update on the Kraig Monroe (Aggravated Battery to a Child) investigation:

The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office has taken the charges against the victim’s mother under advisement and she has been released from the St. Clair County Jail. Sheriff’s Investigators are working closely with the State’s Attorney’s Office to follow up on further investigation related to her involvement.
The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office issued a search warrant for Kraig Monroe’s residence to be further processed by Illinois State Police Crime Scene. ISP and Sheriff’s Investigators are at the residence now (110 Princeton Drive, Belleville) conducting that search warrant.
The mother was issued and served with an Order of Protection issued through St. Clair County Courts to prevent contact with the child.
This morning I, along with Sheriff Mearl Justus, Sgt. Dan Stockett, Inv. Scott Toth and Capt. Don Sax (Belleville) participated in a conference call with Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Supervisors and the case agent. “DCFS was very concerned and everyone who participated in the conference call agreed it was a productive meeting towards changing procedures and improving communications between DCFS and Law Enforcement,” said Capt. Steve Johnson. Further meetings and possible policy changes by DCFS were also discussed.
Kraig Monroe remains in the St. Clair County Jail with a $500,000.00 bond.

----------------------------------------------------------

Capt. Steve Johnson
Chief Investigator
St. Clair County Sheriff's Department
700 North 5th Street
Belleville, IL 62220

'How can you describe it other than hell?' Man charged in beating of 2-year-old girl

2010-03-04T08:37:58-06:00

BY JACQUELINE LEE - News-Democrat

Police have a St. Clair County man in custody after a 2-year-old girl was beaten so badly that she may have to eat from a feeding tube for the rest of her life.

Kraig A. Monroe, 24, of 110 Princeton Drive near Belleville, was charged Wednesday with aggravated battery to a child.

Monroe was watching his girlfriend's daughter while the girlfriend was at work, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Department Capt. Steve Johnson.

County Sheriff's Department Capt. Steve Johnson talks about the charges against Kraig A. Monroe, 24, of unincorporated Belleville. Monroe was charged Wednesday with aggravated battery of a child. - Zia Nizami/BND

Monroe is an unemployed roofer, and the girlfriend works in a nursing home.

Monroe is accused of punching the child repeatedly in the stomach, while she sat in an Elmo baby chair, to silence her crying during the course of about four days, Johnson said.

"How can you describe it other than hell?" Johnson said.

The girl was vomiting, lethargic and going in and out of consciousness when she was taken by her mother to Memorial Hospital in Belleville about 10 a.m. Monday. By 4 p.m. that day, the girl was transported to Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis.

On Tuesday, she underwent surgery to remove a quarter of her intestines. She remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon. The surgery was needed as a direct result of the beating, Johnson said.

"She's on a feeding tube and will be on for a long time if not the rest of her life, if she survives this, and numerous other injuries including a broken leg and a previously broken arm that is healing," Johnson said.

Large clumps of hair also had been pulled out from her head, Johnson said.

Monroe is being held in the St. Clair County Jail on $500,000 bail.

The girl's mother was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon, though she has not been charged, Johnson said. Johnson declined to name the woman because she has not been charged.

"The mother came home from work on Sunday and the child was vomiting and was lethargic, and the mother did nothing other than give the baby Motrin," Johnson said.

Monroe and the girl's mother have known each other since high school. They started dating about four months ago. Police do not know when she moved into Monroe's trailer.

Authorities are investigating whether other children living in the household were abused, Johnson said. There are no signs of injuries or indications of past abuse at this point for the other children, Johnson said.

Monroe's 5-year-old daughter and the girlfriend's two other children, ages 4 and 6, also live in the trailer.

Monroe's child slept on a bed in the trailer, while the girlfriend's three children, including the 2-year-old victim, slept on the floor, Johnson said.

Police also found drug paraphernalia and a large pit bull in the trailer.

"It was a complete trash bin inside this trailer. When I searched it, I was afraid to lean on anything it was so disgusting," Johnson said.

The girl's biological father either works or lives in Kentucky. It was unclear whether he has custody of the child, but he is now at the hospital with the girl, Johnson said.

Johnson said Wednesday afternoon that police were looking into why Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Memorial Hospital, where the girl initially was taken, did not contact law enforcement.

Johnson said later Wednesday that Memorial Hospital employees followed their internal procedure and contacted DCFS, which didn't notify police.

"Memorial followed its policy to report suspected child abuse cases by contacting the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. This was done and is documented," hospital spokeswoman Anne Thomure said in a statement.

Sheriff's officials plan to meet with Memorial staff to establish procedures concerning law enforcement.

Sheriff's investigators were called in about 6 p.m. Monday by Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis about a critically injured 2-year-old.

When the girl was taken to the hospital on Monday, she already had a cast on her leg. DCFS was called to the home last week, Johnson said. The agency was told Feb. 23 about the girl's broken leg, but the Sheriff's Department was not notified.

"When I found that out, that DCFS was notified that this child had a broken leg and they were looking into that, I was very shocked that we were not notified," Johnson said. "There may be more to that which justifies them not notifying us. At this point, I don't know."

Kendall Marlowe, a spokesman for DCFS, said Wednesday night: "We strive to work closely with local law enforcement and we welcome their input. ... We coordinate our investigations with local law enforcement and work with them as needed in each individual investigation."

Marlowe said DCFS makes a distinction between investigations of neglect and abuse. "Not every case we deal with involves local law enforcement," he said.

"DCFS is investigating an allegation of neglect against the mother in this family based on a report received Feb. 23," Marlowe said. "We are also investigating allegations of abuse against Mr. Monroe based on a report received March 1."

DCFS had no contact with this family before these reports and the three other children living in this home are now in the care of relatives, Marlowe said.

DCFS is looking into the safety of the other children involved, which is a standard part of the investigation, Marlowe said.

"(The) Illinois Supreme Court does not allow me to talk toward the character of a person, but I can tell you in my experience as a law enforcement officer, that a person who is convicted of this, in these extreme nature of injuries, is just a waste of human space," Johnson said.

Contact reporter Jacqueline Lee at jlee@bnd.com or 239-2655.

Man charged in beating of two year old. Fox 2 video

2010-03-03T18:08:55-06:00

Sgt. John Fulton

St. Clair County man charged in connection with beating 2-year-old girl

2010-03-03T17:07:50-06:00

News-Democrat

Police have a man in custody after a 2-year-old girl was beaten so badly that she will only be able to eat from a feeding tube for the rest of her life.
Kraig A. Monroe, 24, of unincorporated Belleville was charged Wednesday with aggravated battery of a child.
Monroe was watching his girlfriend's toddler daughter while the girlfriend was at work, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Department Capt. Steve Johnson.

Kraig A. Monroe - Provided/BND

Over the course of several days, Monroe is accused of punching the baby in the stomach to silence her crying, Johnson said.
The girl was vomiting and going in and out of consciousness when she was taken to Memorial Hospital about 10 a.m. Monday. By 4 p.m. that day, the girl, who was in critical condition, was transported to Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis.
On Thursday, she underwent surgery to remove her bowels and her intestines. If she survives, she will be on a feeding tube the rest of her life, Johnson said.
The girl also suffered from various other injuries: a broken leg, a broken arm and clumps of hair had been pulled out from her head.
Monroe is being held at the St. Clair County Jail on $500,000 bail.
The girl's mother also has been taken into custody, though she has not been charged, Johnson said.

Daughter of 'Jane Doe' learns about mother; killer 'could still be out there,' she says

2010-03-01T11:07:58-06:00

BY BETH HUNDSDORFER AND GEORGE PAWLACZYK - News-Democrat

Katie found and lost her mother in one day.

Katie is the daughter of Summerfield's "Jane Doe," who was strangled and left in a cornfield outside the small village. She remained unidentified for more than 21 years until in January 2008 an FBI fingerprint recheck revealed she was 27-year-old Eulalia Pholia Mylia Chavez Wilcomer.

"I was at work and I waited until I got home and I Googled it," said Katie, who asked that only her first name be used to protect her and her adopted family. "I was like, 'Oh, my God!' So I found out who she was and that she was murdered in the same day."

A 1983 police photo of Eulalia Pholia Mylia Chavez Wilcomer. - Provided/BND

Katie, now 32, learned the name of her mother, who gave her up for adoption in California when she was an infant, from her mother's high school friend in 2008, then learned through a computer search that her mother was found in an Illinois cornfield near a small town called Summerfield, strangled, mutilated and unidentified for decades.

The news of her mother's murder brought fear, said Katie.

"He could still be out there. You would think that after 20 years, he is obviously unstable. If something with my name on it goes into print, anybody could read it," Katie said. "He might be cuckoo bananas if he's going around killing people."

Though its been 24 years since the murder, police insist they are still pursuing the killer by following every lead, including the latest that involves a register for what used to be called the Lebanon Hotel.

"Although it's been a long time since this homicide happened, it's still very important to the citizens of St. Clair County and to the sheriff's department to continue to investigate it," said Capt. Steve Johnson of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. "Throughout that time, the case has changed hands through many investigators who have come and gone, but we are always constantly looking for possible leads."

A former Lebanon police chief, Jerry Harris, said he remembered hearing that Chavez had stayed overnight in a room in the village, possibly with a boyfriend.

Three years ago when reporters tried to follow up on this tip, the former hotel owner refused access to the sign in book. Recently, at the request of the News-Democrat, another former police chief, Adolph Bradley, went to current Chief Dale Warke and asked him to investigate the sign-in book. Warke said he would investigate and contacted the sheriff's department.

Katie said she hoped her mother's killer would be caught.

"It would be really nice if this murder could be pinned on somebody and somebody would pay for it," Katie said.

For Katie, the news of her mother's death has brought disappointment and a realization that any information she learns about her mother would be second-hand from her mother's biological sister, newspaper accounts and police reports.

Katie knows nuggets of information. She knows her mother liked to be called "Lia" and did not like another nickname, "Lolly." She knew that she was an artist who drew and made jewelry and clothing. She attended Foothills College in Palo Alto, Calif., in winter and spring 1976. She volunteered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Katie knows Lia Chavez, then 18, gave birth to her at Stanford Hospital on Sept. 21, 1977. Chavez took her baby girl home to her apartment, kept the baby for four to six months, then gave it up for adoption.

Katie was told her father was English and a musician.

"It would be kind of cool to know who he was," Katie said. "I have nothing on him. I have no idea."

Lia Chavez and her sister were close, but lost touch after she gave Katie up for adoption, Katie said. Katie keeps in touch with her aunt.

Katie also contacted her grandmother, Sonja Wilcomer, who adopted the Costa Rican-born Lia and her sister, when the family lived in Panama. Sonja Wilcomer has said that her daughter left home about five years after her husband, Maurice Wilcomer, a former U.S. Foreign Service employee, died in 1972.

"Her reaction was not warm, at all. She didn't speak warmly of Lia, at all," Katie said. "I would think that even if Lia was a really bad kid, whatever, was into drugs, most parents, if your daughter's dead and your granddaughter calls, you're not gonna be like your mom was a bad seed. I don't want to talk to you."

Katie said Sonja Wilcomer told her that Lia came to her house once with a baby, but she didn't pay much attention.

"Sonja said, 'I thought that baby was a boy, though,'" Katie said.

Sonja Wilcomer told Katie that Lia was into prostitution and drugs. No drugs or alcohol were found in Lia Chavez body during her autopsy in 1986.

But during a Saturday interview, Wilcomer, 88, said she remembers the conversation with her adopted granddaughter differently.

"When she called, it was kind of a shock to me," Wilcomer said.

"Maybe she thought differently, but I believe I spoke very affectionately of her mother. I'm amazed that she thought that I didn't. I told her about all the things her mother liked to do."

Between 1977 and 1986, Lia Chavez's life becomes a mystery to Katie, her sister and her adopted mother.

Southern Oregon State College security officers arrested Chavez near its Ashland campus on July 1979 for stealing a purse. Chavez, then 20, did not list an address.

A farmer harvesting corn found Chavez in a field south of Summerfield on Sept. 6, 1986. She had been dead for less than 24 hours. A collection of mismatched women's clothing in various sizes was strewn near her body. She was strangled with a piece of clothing and her genitals were mutilated with a knife after death.

She remained unidentified when her body was exhumed in June 2007 and transferred to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in an effort to identify her. There, well-known anthropologist Richard Jantz placed the remains in the anthropology department's heavily guarded bone yard, called "The Body Farm," to become fully skeletonized.

An FBI fingerprint check later led to her identification. A fingerprint check shortly after she was found failed to identify her when an investigator mistakenly entered an age range of 18 to 25 for the computer. Chavez turned out to be 27.

Sonja Wilcomer opted to leave Chavez's body at the university, despite the efforts of several Summerfield residents to arrange a burial in their village. After her identification, Chavez's bones were transferred to a collection box and placed with about 800 other sets of human remains for study.

Katie said she thought it would have been nice if her grandmother would have taken the people of Summerfield up on their offer to bury Chavez there.

"For all I know, my mom was some crazy drug addict. I have no idea," Katie said. "But even if she was, I just think that there were other, really nice things about her. Why couldn't she be portrayed in a nice a way as possible?"

Contact reporter Beth Hundsdorfer at bhundsdorfer@bnd.com or 239-2570. Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com or 239-2625.

Mother, two young boys drown overnight in lake on Loehr Road

2010-02-20T10:26:29-06:00

News-Democrat

Two children and an adult woman drowned overnight in a St. Clair County lake, according to Capt. Steve Johnson.

The bodies of Kathy Baxmeyer, 40, of unincorporated Waterloo, her son, Kadin Baxmeyer, 7, and family friend Steven (Austin) Baum, 6, of Waterloo, were recovered Saturday morning from a lake on the Baxmeyer's residence on Loehr Road.

"Although initial indications and evidence point to a tragic accident where three people fell through ice and drowned, we are in the process of conducting a thorough death investigation," Johnson said.

Steven's mother reported her son missing shortly after midnight after repeated attempts to reach Kathy Baxmeyer's cell phone were unsuccessful.

It was Kadin's seventh birthday and Kathy Baxmeyer was supposed to the take the two boys to the movies to celebrate.

When deputies began investigating, they found boots and gloves near a lake close to the Baxmeyer's home. A police dog tracked the smell from the clothing into the lake, where a hole through the ice was visible.

Smithton, Hecker and Swansea fire departments responded.

The bodies were recovered from 12-foot-deep water after crews spent several hours diving.

All three drowning victims were pronounced dead between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. by Preston Becker, St. Clair County Preston Becker. The bodies were transported to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville for autopsies.

"This is a sad reminder of the dangers of children and ice-covered lakes," Johnson said. "Our hearts go out to the victims' families."

Man nabbed by K-9 dog while trying to elude police

2010-02-19T10:46:12-06:00

BY JENNIFER BOWEN - News-Democrat

An East St. Louis man with an outstanding warrant from St. Louis parked his car in the middle of the street early Monday and tried to outrun a sheriff's deputy and his K-9 partner.

St. Clair County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Biggs spotted a silver Chevrolet Lumina parked in the middle of 54th Street near Caseyville Avenue in Washington Park around 2:30 a.m. Monday. The car was turned off and had no lights on. Biggs could see two people sitting in the car, according to the police report.

Biggs was patrolling with his K-9 partner, Jesse, and when he pulled up behind the vehicle the driver turned the car on, turned on the lights and started to drive away.

Bezell Lee. - Provided/BND

The car pulled up to a stop sign where the driver jumped out and fled, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steven Johnson. Because there was a second person still in the vehicle, Biggs called for assistance and Deputy Kevin Kocurek arrived to help. The passenger in the car yelled at Biggs and told him the man on foot was carrying a gun, according to the report.

The passenger left the area while Biggs and Kocurek were chasing the subject. He has not yet been identified.

Bezell Lee, 26, of 726 Pershing, ran through yards, jumping fences and frequently changing direction as he attempted to escape from Biggs.

Biggs warned Lee to stop or he would release Jesse. Lee did not stop running and the K-9 was released.

Jesse caught Lee and held him with a bite on his arm. Lee continued to fight and put Jesse in a headlock in an attempt to free himself from the K-9's bite.

Lee was handcuffed and secured by Biggs and Kocurek and an ambulance called to treat the bite wounds Lee received from Jesse.

Police learned he had an active felony probation violation warrant out of St. Louis for drug charges and a revoked Illinois drivers license.

Lee refused to be transported by ambulance but was instead taken by squad car to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville where he was treated and released into police custody. He was taken to the St. Clair County Jail.

"Even a simple traffic stop can turn into something more dangerous," Johnson said. "Police officers always have to be on their guard."

Lee has been charged with improper parking on the roadway, failure to wear a seatbelt, illegal transportation of alcohol, driving with a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

He remains in custody in the St. Clair County Jail. His bond on the traffic charges and the resisting arrest charge was set at $4,000. He is being held without bond on the St. Louis probation violation.

Law Enforcement Task Force in East St. Louis Making a Difference

2010-02-05T10:55:09-06:00

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) - A violent crime task force crack down is paying off in East St. Louis. The task force, called WAVE, "Working Against Violent Elements" is made up of members of the United States Marshal's Service, the East St. Louis Police Department, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. WAVE made three more arrests Tuesday night in 800 block of 71st while coming under gunfire; just the latest arrests in a dramatic three month turn-around in East St. Louis crime since WAVE started its work.

Log sheets of homicides in East St. Louis since 1999 all had one thing in common: a spike in homicides from mid-November through February. Now, from November 19th, 2009, right around the time the task force started, through 10 p.m. Wednesday, February 3rd, there were zero gun-related homicides in East St. Louis. The first almost came February second. A pursuit began when East St. Louis police attempted to pull over a car on State Street around 9:00 p.m. One of the occupants was apparently wanted on an arrest warrant. The car took off then stopped on 71st Street. "The subjects in that vehicle bailed and ran," said Lt. James Morrisey of the Illinois State Police. Members of the task force tackled two of the suspects near a creek. Another suspect ran into a house. "As officers from the task force were approaching the residence, a subject opened a door and fired at the officers. Officers from the task force returned fire, striking the suspect," Morrisey said.

The suspect remained hospitalized Wednesday night. No police officers were hurt in what was just another "night at the office" for the task force. "We have taken 65 illegally possessed firearms off the street," said task force member, Joe Beliveau, of the Illinois State Police. "We've had over 200 warrant arrests...over 35 cocaine related arrests, seized over $43,000. We've taken 3 bullet proof vests off the street, arrested 3 carjackers...we are targeting areas notorious for violent crimes and street level narcotics distribution. We are conducting walk-throughs of housing projects," Beliveau said. "So if you're doing business out there, two things: stop it or move on," said Francella Jackson, of the City of East St. Louis. "Because you're going to get caught. They're not playing with criminal individuals in this community."

"More and more every day more citizens are coming forward and trusting the police and trusting us, providing us with information that is leading to a lot of good arrests...that's exactly what keeps us going every day," Beliveau said. "I have never been involved in a detail where every officer in the detail is as committed and dedicated to one goal: making it safe for the citizens and more importantly the children, just to be able to walk to a store and not be the victim of a crime." "The guys are no longer hanging on the corners. The criminal element, theyre going to have to go somewhere else," Jackson said. "The residents, they've come out and they've said, 'we like what we see. We like what they're doing...wow, maybe after all, they're going to turn this thing around again'." Investigators had yet to release the name of the suspects from Tuesday night. There was no word on any charges filed.

St. Clair County Jail gets new fingerprint system to prevent the wrong inmate from being released on bond

2010-01-22T20:06:31-06:00

BY BETH HUNDSDORFER - News-Democrat

It all started with a T-shirt.

It ended with a $17,000 fingerprint system, added security measures for the St. Clair County Jail, an injured Texas trooper, a 30-day suspension for a corrections officer and a three-year prison sentence for the T-shirt's owner.

Darryln K. Byrd, 44, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to aiding the escape of a relative, Elijah Muhammad, who was in the St. Clair County Jail on home invasion and aggravated assault charges. Byrd gave Muhammad his "Curt Smith" T-shirt, police said, then posed as Byrd when someone posted his $100 bond and walked out of jail.

"(Byrd) is a cautionary tale," said Sheriff Mearl Justus. "Here he was, a guy in here on a misdemeanor charge with a $100 bond, now he's going to prison for three years."

From his cell in St. Clair County Jail where he has been since the night he was plucked drunk off the street, Byrd said he heard Muhammad tell another inmate he would "do whatever it took" to avoid prison.

"I was suffering from a hangover," Byrd said. "He took my shirt."

Byrd, a disabled veteran who has abused alcohol since age 14, said he wants treatment, but that isn't likely because his crime will keep him at an elevated security level. This is his first trip to state prison.

After Muhammad's release from the St. Clair County Jail, he fled the area. Police found him at a Texas driver's license office where he was trying to get a license. He resisted arrest and a trooper's ankle was broken in the struggle.

Muhammad was charged with escape and remains in the St. Clair County Jail where he awaits trial.

Just steps away, the jail's booking center has added new security measures in response to Muhammad's escape, including a $17,000 computer program to verify who is walking in and out of the jail.

Incoming inmates will be fingerprinted by a digital device which will be compared to the jail's database to see if that inmate has been to the jail before. If so, their identity can be confirmed. When an inmate is released from the county jail, another set of fingerprints is taken to ensure the correct person is being readied for release. The inmate also will be asked a series of verification questions, then the correction officer and their supervisor must sign off on the jail's paperwork.

"It provides a measure of accountability," Justus said.

Sgt. Tammy Grime said officers were already training on the new system. Jail Superintendent Phillip McLaurin said the system would be up and fully running by the end of the month.

The correctional officer who released Muhammad was suspended for 30 days without pay because he failed to compare departing inmates to their booking photos. He returned to work where he continues his employment as a correctional officer, McLaurin said.