UPDATE: 9:42 p.m.
WEST PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria county deputies are identifying a man now charged in the deaths of his wife and step-child found shot to death inside a West Peoria home early Thursday.
Deputies responded around 8:20 a.m. to a home along North Cedar Avenue and West Manor Parkway where they found both victims’ bodies.
In an updated release, Peoria County Sheriff’s officials say 34-year-old Rickey J. Payne is now facing two counts of First Degree Murder.
He was husband to the 32-year-old woman found dead and step-father to the 8-year-old boy.
Deputies say there were also two other small children living in the home, twins — age 1 or so — born of the now parted couple.
Neither of them were physically harmed.
The Sheriff’s Office says Payne has previously been arrested in numerous other states but not here locally.
Payne had been taken into custody at the scene shortly after events had unfolded Thursday morning and deputies had reportedly been detaining and questioning him for much of the day before confirming news of his arrest and charges shortly after 8:30 p.m.
Following confirmation of these details, Sheriff Chris Watkins issued a statement asking the public to “please keep the victim’s family, coworkers, classmates, teachers, and our first responders that responded to the scene and investigated this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.”
Watkins continued, “We recognize this affects everyone in our community, and we mourn this inconceivable loss of life of a mother and son,” he stated.
The investigation is ongoing and the Peoria County Coroner’s office is expected to release further information about the identities of the deceased victims once all proper notifications are made and autopsies are done.
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UPDATE: 11:37 a.m.
WEST PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins confirms there is now a double homicide investigation ongoing after a shooting reported in West Peoria early Thursday.
Deputies also now have a subject in custody for questioning in connection with the case.
Sheriff Chris Watkins confirms that officers were called to the home in the 100 block of North Cedar Avenue a little before 8:20 a.m.
He says responding officers found an adult female deceased inside, believed to be in her 30’s.
They also found an 8-year-old child deceased, a male juvenile.
The subject now in custody for questioning is an adult male, but Watkins could not confirm the nature of this person’s relationship to the two victims in the case.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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WEST PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office confirms it is investigating a shooting at a home near the intersection of N. Cedar Avenue and W. Manor Parkway in West Peoria.
Drivers are being advised to avoid the area at this time.
Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins says more information will be released when possible.
This story will be updated.
