Accused killer hoped for fresh start, wife says
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By St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Thursday, July 03, 2008 |
Nicholas T. Sheley, right, is escorted out of the Granite City, Ill., police department Wednesday. (AP Photo)
They met in jail. They married in May with dreams of a fresh start.
Nicholas T. Sheley and his bride, Holly, planned to move with their two young children to a house with a fenced-in yard in the peaceful farm town of Mount Morris, Ill., a place his wife hoped would put them far from temptations and trouble. Holly worried about her husband, said her mother, Marcia Frey.
“When he is on drugs and alcohol, it’s like he’s a totally different person,” Frey said Wednesday.
But now jail is where Nicholas Sheley, 28, finds himself once again — this time accused in a brutal killing rampage that claimed eight lives in Missouri and Illinois. He was arrested Tuesday after an intense manhunt.
Sheley, wearing a dirty white T-shirt, was apprehended while smoking outside a bar in Granite City. On Wednesday, on his way to court in Edwardsville, he wore an orange jumpsuit and pink handcuffs, a scowl on his face.
Frey said of Sheley’s wife: “She can’t believe this has actually happened.”
Sheley has a long criminal history, ranging from possession of a firearm to aggravated battery. Authorities said he had gained a reputation for trouble in his hometown of Sterling, Ill., 100 miles west of Chicago. But nothing hinted he would be accused of killing so many, so quickly.
Police say Sheley’s path meandered over eight days and more than 250 miles from Sterling down to Festus and Granite City to outside Busch Stadium. His alleged victims ranged from a 2-year-old boy to a 93-year-old man. At least some of the victims died from blows from an ax, according to Illinois State Police sources. Sheley’s motive remains unknown, police said.
Sheley had help as he made his way through two states, police said. His brother, his brother’s girlfriend and a cousin have been charged with aiding him.
But it all ended abruptly, quietly, police say, thanks to several small clues: Two dogs covered in blood. A truck equipped with a tracking device. Bar patrons tuned into the local news.
By Monday, Sheley allegedly had claimed six victims, all from small towns in northern Illinois. But attention turned to the St. Louis area, authorities say, after police tracked the Chevy Silverado pickup of victim Ronald Randall, 65, of Galesburg, Ill.
His truck was traced to south St. Louis using the satellite-based OnStar system. The vehicle was covered in blood, police say.
The night before — Sunday — an animal control officer was called to a Comfort Inn in Festus. Two dogs — a schnauzer named Webster and a miniature pinscher named Reggie — had wandered the parking lot. The dogs were blood-covered. The owners were missing. The dogs’ tags were engraved with the owners’ names, and police asked the front desk for a room number. The room was empty. Nothing was amiss. So attention centered on the dogs. “Our first thought was that it was injured or had been attacked by another animal,” recalled animal control officer Sharon Scherer.
But something felt wrong.
“Everyone was confused at that point,” Scherer said. “Nothing was making sense.“
The next day, police found the bodies of the dogs’ owners behind a gas station. Thomas and Jill Estes of Sherwood, Ark., were in town for a niece’s graduation party.
A police official said Sheley was in Festus trying to find someone with whom he had corresponded with in prison.
In Rock Falls, Ill., on Wednesday, at the small blond-brick apartment building where four of the murders occurred, cleanup workers in masks focused on Apartment 5. A child’s plastic tricycle stood in the side yard.
Gary Wade, who lives across the street, said a man ran to Wade’s front door at about 4 p.m. Monday.
“He goes, ‘Call 911 ... They’ve been butchered,’” Wade said. “He was in shock, really shaking.“
Sheley knew victims Brock Branson and Kenneth Ulve, police said. Sheley’s mother-in-law said her daughter had dated Branson. Sheley’s connection to victims Kilynna Blake, 20, and Dayan Blake, 2, both of Cedar City, Utah, was unclear.
The four were believed to have been killed over the weekend.
Several days before, Sheley allegedly claimed his first victim, Russell Reed, 93, of Sterling.
It was at this point that Sheley sought help from family, police said.
On June 24, Sheley’s brother Joshua asked his girlfriend if he could park a vehicle with a body inside at her house, according to court records. Brothers Joshua and Nicholas Sheley then drove over.
The girlfriend, Jenna Henson, 20, lives on the same block where police discovered both Reed’s car and his body stuffed in the trunk on June 26, according to documents.
Henson and Eric A. Smith, 21, were charged with obstructing justice for concealing clothes worn by Sheley, according to records.
Joshua Sheley was charged with obstructing justice and concealing a homicide.
Nicholas Sheley was arrested Tuesday afternoon after he stopped at Bindy’s bar and grill in Granite City. Patrons immediately recognized him from the slew of media coverage.
“For everything that was going on, he was surprisingly calm,” said Samantha Butler, 27, who realized that the gaunt face across the bar belonged to a wanted man.
So far Sheley has been charged with crimes related to two victims.
Held in lieu of $1 million bail, he was waiting Wednesday for authorities from Knox County to return him to their jurisdiction in northern Illinois.
But more charges — both in Missouri and Illinois — were expected.
While awaiting Sheley’s capture, Holly Sheley went into hiding with their two children this past week, fearing that her husband might try to hurt them, said Frey, of Mount Morris. Nicholas Sheley’s first wife also stayed away from her home for several nights to protect herself and their two children.
Monica Rodriguez of Sterling said Wednesday that she wasn’t going to take any chances, remembering how her ex-husband had abused her.
The two married in 1996 after Rodriguez learned she was pregnant. The couple had marital problems, but Rodriguez felt they could work things out if they brought religion into their lives. So, in 1998, they were baptized.
“We had a lot of problems and we were trying to get right with the Lord,” she said. “It didn’t work.“
About eight years ago, the abuse became too much, Rodriguez said. One night, Sheley came home and began hitting her. She said she grabbed a knife and told him to stay away. He didn’t, so she stabbed him, but he removed the knife and then beat her unconscious, she said.
“Over the last couple of days, I’ve seen what he’s capable of,” Rodriguez said. “At least we know we’re safe now, and everybody we know is safe from him. ... Now we’ll just let the police and God deal with it.“
As of Wednesday, Holly Sheley still hadn’t returned home. The last time she saw her husband was June 23, one or two days before the first victim’s death, said Frey. He had started drinking and disappeared with the car.
“I’m just thankful that he’s in jail,” Frey said. “He may be my son-in-law, but what he did to those people is terrible. How can he kill a little kid the same age as his daughter? Something was not right with his mind.“
Terry Hillig, Kevin McDermott and Carolyn Tuft of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
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