Laura Keck
QUINCY — A Quincy man facing up to 67 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections has waived his right to a jury trial after agreeing to a plea. William Dees, 33, appeared Tuesday morning with attorney Drew Schnack in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Tad Brenner. Dees’ case was set to be on…
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QUINCY — Devyn Budde tried to explain Thursday morning how the smell of Doritos now reminds her of the sexual abuse her stepdaughter endured at the hands of Jeremy McSparren. McSparren, who appeared in Adams County Circuit Court, was sentenced to 24 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Judge Kevin Tippey. A December…
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QUINCY — A Quincy man facing between one and three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, if found guilty of a Class 4 felony grooming charge, was allowed Friday to return to classes at the University of Illinois. First, however, the state’s flagship school at Urbana-Champaign must be willing to take him back. Giorgio…
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Plainville man with more than 80,000 pornographic images, videos on cellphone given 12-year sentence
QUINCY — Judge Tad Brenner called Joshua Cress, who had more than 80,000 pornographic images and videos on his cellphone, a “very, very predatory and dangerous individual” when handing down a 12-year sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections Monday morning. Cress, 43, of Plainville appeared in Adams County Circuit Court on Monday morning with…
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QUINCY — A Quincy man indicted in October 2022 on multiple sex offense charges chose not to accept a plea agreement and tried to get a new lawyer before agreeing to have a bench trial in December. Aaron Washington, 47, appeared with Chief Public Defender Todd Nelson before Judge Robert Adrian on Wednesday afternoon in…
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QUINCY — A 93-year-old Quincy man charged with sexually abusing and sexually assaulting his 10-year-old great-granddaughter will get to “die peacefully in my home” after receiving a 48-month sentence of probation on Monday. Lionel Surratt appeared with attorney Drew Schnack in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Robert Adrian. Surratt had been charged with predatory…
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QUINCY — A bench trial for a Quincy man facing three counts of criminal sexual abuse and two counts of criminal sexual assault was canceled Monday morning when the defendant entered a guilty plea. Jeremy A. McSparren, 39, appeared with Public Defender Mark Taylor in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Kevin Tippey. Possible sexual…
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QUINCY — As he prepared to sentence Isaiah Mikkelson Friday morning, Judge Tad Brenner took a moment to discuss sexual abuse occurring in church settings. “That any religious institution does not have policies and procedures and education in place to prevent situations like this from happening is absolutely appalling,” Brenner said. “That is a situation…
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QUINCY — A youth pastor at a Quincy church facing sexual abuse and pornography charges has agreed to a plea negotiation that will cap his sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections at 14 years. Isaiah Mikkelson, 22, of 3340 Wynstone Drive appeared with Springfield-based attorney William Vig on Tuesday morning in Adams County Circuit…
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PLEASE READ THIS CAUTIONARY NOTE: Readers should understand this story contains descriptions of sexual abuse. This may offend and shock some readers or be painful to survivors of sexual abuse or assault. Muddy River News believes it is necessary to report this information as a warning and a reminder of what comprises sexual abuse and the importance of protecting children and supporting…
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QUINCY — Josh Jones and Laura Keck were getting a little nervous. Testimony was complete and closing arguments had been delivered in the Bradley Yohn criminal sexual assault case Monday morning in Adams County Circuit Court. The two assistant state’s attorneys were awaiting the jury’s verdict while relaxing in the basement of the courthouse in…
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QUINCY — Assistant State’s Attorneys Josh Jones and Laura Keck showed video, photos, evidence and science discovered in its prosecution of the Bradley Yohn sexual assault trial as they laid the foundation of their case Wednesday in Adams County Circuit Court. Yohn, 36, is charged with home invasion with a dangerous weapon, home invasion predicated…
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QUINCY — When Tina Lohman Schmitt’s car had mechanical problems on Koch’s Lane on the night of Nov. 9, 2021, she noticed a car approaching. “How do you think she felt? Was she relieved? Did she think she was going to get help?” Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck asked during her 11-minute opening statement Tuesday…
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QUINCY — The seemingly never-ending saga of Bradley Yohn in Adams County Circuit Court may finally be close to a trial. At the end of a Friday morning motion hearing, Yohn informed Judge Roger Thomson he had four more motions he wanted to file. Thomson (who lives in Havana) agreed to have another motion hearing…
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QUINCY — A Camp Point woman was sentenced Friday morning to 48 months of probation and 180 days in the Adams County Jail for her involvement in a February 2022 criminal sexual assault case. Judge Tad Brenner said he had lost sleep while determining what to do with the case and made his ruling with…
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The two Adams County prosecutors who tried the Tim Bliefnick murder case reflect on the case and what the ramifications could possibly be. We did have a slight audio issue with this so we apologize in advance. MRN This Week is furnished by Harvey’s.
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QUINCY — A jury of six men and six women found Tim Bliefnick guilty Wednesday on two counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Home Invasion in the Feb. 23 shooting death of his estranged wife Rebecca Bliefnick. The Adams County jury took 4 hours and 15 minutes to decide Bliefnick’s fate. Bliefnick…
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QUINCY — A Quincy Police Department detective said Tim Bliefnick cooperated with investigators on the night of Feb. 23, shortly after his wife was found dead in her home. Tim Bliefnick is on trial this week in Adams County Circuit Court. He is accused of shooting Becky Bliefnick multiple times at her Kentucky Road home…
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QUINCY — Adams County Assistant State’s Attorneys Josh Jones and Laura Keck paraded a series of witnesses Wednesday afternoon before the jury in the Tim Bliefnick murder trial. Each of them said Bliefnick’s estranged wife, Becky, had reached out to talk and text about her fears and concerns as the couple went through a contentious…
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QUINCY — The sister of Becky Bliefnick testified on Tuesday afternoon that Becky sent her a text in 2021, telling her that “if something ever happens to me, make sure the No. 1 person of interest is Tim.” Tim Bliefnick, Becky’s estranged husband, is on trial this week in Adams County Circuit Court for the…
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QUINCY — A Quincy man who testified he had been in a “dating type of relationship” with Becky Bliefnick since January 2020 said he saw her for the last time on the night of Feb. 21 and talked with her on the evening of Feb. 22 — hours before she was found shot to death…
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QUINCY — A six-man and six-woman jury was selected Monday to hear testimony in Tim Bliefnick’s first-degree murder case beginning Tuesday. Bliefnick is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in connection with the Feb. 23 shooting death of his estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick. Jury selection lasted about 8…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Jury selection begins Monday in the first-degree murder trial of Tim Bliefnick, who is accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife three months ago. Bliefnick and his attorney, Casey Schnack, appeared before Judge Robert Adrian along with Assistant State’s Attorneys Josh Jones and Laura Keck Friday morning. The attorneys confirmed no plea arrangements…
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QUINCY — Both the defense and the prosecution say they will be ready to begin the first-degree murder trial of Tim Bliefnick on May 22. Bliefnick is accused of killing his estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, on Feb. 23. Bliefnick was arrested on March 13 on two first-degree murder charges and one count of home invasion.…
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QUINCY — A Camp Point woman facing sexual abuse charges entered an Alford plea on Friday morning in Adams County Circuit Court to an amended charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Janelle M. Sparrow, 36, appeared in Adams County Circuit Court with her attorney, Don Heck, before Judge Tad Brenner. She originally was charged with one count…
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March 29, 2025
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