NORMAN V. KELLY
There was a time in Peoria, Illinois when folks did
not lock their doors. First and foremost the folks I am talking about had
nothing to steal because their possessions were a bit meager. Secondly, there
was a small, hometown feeling about Peoria but of course all that changed
drastically over the years. Over in towns like Eureka and Lacon, just to name a
couple of small towns, folks didn’t bother to lock their doors either. In small
towns all over America, things were a bit more laid back: folks were
friendlier, less suspicious than the people in larger cities like Peoria,
Illinois. If you read the story of Pam Scott in Lawn Ridge, you got my meaning.
All that quaintness changed that morning of March 7, 2002 once the news spread
around Eureka, Illinois. Folks not only started locking their doors but their
very lives changed forever.
It was three in the morning when the young man arrived
outside the house he was looking for. He
was only seventeen and should have been home in bed. At first he stood looking
at the house then with a quick glance down the street he walked quietly to the
front door which he found unlocked. His intention was to “borrow” some videos
from the lady that resided there. The fact that the entire town was asleep
apparently never dawned on him. Once inside the living room, he stood for a moment
before making his way to the room that contained the tapes. With the light on
he nonchalantly flipped through the available tapes selecting two videos,
“Romeo and Juliet” and perhaps prophetically, “Bad Boys.”
He thought that he would just take them, watch them
and bring them back. After all, he knew the woman and was pretty sure she
wouldn’t mind. The stillness in the house was broken by a sound. The young
man’s heart leaped. Alarmed by what he had heard or thought he had heard he
quickly moved to the kitchen where he slowly opened a cabinet drawer from which
he extracted a kitchen knife. In fact he took two of them just to be safe.
Moving swiftly, he walked toward the source of the
sound, which happened to be the bedroom of the lady of the house. As he got to
the door it swung open revealing the terrified woman. Instantly he stuck out at
her with one of the knives, stabbing the terrified woman in the stomach. The
lady flailed out at her attacker with her open hand slapping him on the face.
Enraged the intruder slashed and stabbed her over and over again. When she fell
to the bed fatally wounded the young killer cupped his victim’s head in his
hands “Good-bye bitch.”
Before he left the house he hid one of the knives deep
down inside the living room sofa. He
then ran to the bathroom taking off his blue leather jacket to wash his hands.
After he left the immediate area he discarded the jacket once he discovered it
was drenched with his victim’s blood. About four in the morning he went home
snug in his bed. He’d been out of an institution in Iowa just a day or so and
it was good to be sleeping in his own bedroom. That feeling of security didn’t
last however and one of the first people to notice his strange behavior was the
young man’s father. Things were about to drastically change for our young
killer.
WHAT’S WRONG
WITH MY MOM?
Coty, nine-year-old son of the victim got out of bed
that school morning, Wednesday, March 7, 2002, to find his mom. Like all kids
in the morning, he needed to know was what’s for breakfast, things
that only mothers seem to know about. From the room in
the basement where he had slept he walked upstairs to his mother’s bedroom and
that’s when he discovered his mother there on her bed. I doubt if any person
could describe the horror of that moment…why try? Coty ran to the telephone and
called 911 repeatedly but got no answer. He then called the Davenport
Elementary School to report the horrible news. Someone there notified police
and soon the house was just another crime scene.
The Eureka Police Department along with investigators
from the Illinois State Police immediately began the minute investigation of
the house and surrounding area. Coroner Tim Ruestman of Woodford County took
charge of the body, telling reporters that he did not know how long the woman
had been dead “It’s definitely a murder,” he said. The coroner ordered an
autopsy for Thursday and said they would know about the circumstances of her
death later.
Curious neighbors and other folks from Eureka took the
news with a shake of the head and the usual comments, “Unbelievable!” “My God,
not here in Eureka
THE MOTHER
OF THREE
Cherie L. Gillson was the lady that was found dead
inside her home at 409 W. Court, a thirty-four-year-old woman, divorced mother
of three children, going to wear… but only Coty lived with her. Her ex husband
was a local sheriff’s deputy
named Robert Gillson. The couple had divorced and
since then Mrs. Gillson had had her financial woes. The very day of her autopsy
she was to start work at Dollar General in Eureka, Illinois as a cashier.
Another terrible blow to her was the bank’s foreclosure on her home there on
Court. She held a part-time job as a substitute bus monitor for the
Congerville-Eureka-Goodfield school system working also for elderly people in
Eureka. Cherie was a hard-working, dedicated mother and now she was gone.
“She
was a wonderful person, very upbeat and personable,”
said Robert Hodge manager of the Dollar General. “She was
really excited about starting. I was looking forward to having
her
because she looked like she’d be a good employee.”
Cherie used to live in Metamora and over the past few
months had had a run of bad fortune. Robert and Cherie Gillson were divorced on
October 24, according to records, and Robert moved to Goodfield. The couple had
two
children from the marriage. The mortgage company added
to her burden by filling a foreclosure notice on her property so she faced an
uncertain future as to where to house herself and her son. Mrs. Gillson also
had on her mind the court date for her DUI ticket she received on November 12,
2001.
The folks that knew Cherie thought the world of her
and putting aside their own fears they talked about her always in a positive
manner. Sheriff Ernie Bigelow knew her through his deputy, but he told the
press that Cherie “Had a glow about her that would light up a room. She was
very outgoing and had a nice personality, saying ‘hi’ to you even from across
the room.”
The sheriff knew her also because of her part-time job
as a bus monitor.
“She made a big impression on my son and touched the
lives of a lot of officers. She often cooked breakfast for the men coming off
of third-shift.”
Over at the Hawk Gas Station in Metamora, Judy Bohn
told reporters Cherie used to work at Hawks “She treated everybody the same,
always bubbly and friendly.”
The last time anyone had seen Cherie Gillson was when
she was eating dinner with her son over at Hodel’s, a restaurant not far from
her home.
Even with her financial problems such as the
bankruptcy, the foreclosure and the death of her father in February, Cherie
always managed a smile for anyone that spoke to her. Besides her son Coty, she
still managed to stay in touch with her other sons, Joseph, and
fourteen-year-old Jeffrey. For the people that knew Cherie, the loss would be
with them for the rest of their lives.
THE
SEARCH FOR A
KILLER
After hour upon hour of questioning and following
tips, the one big tip came in from a source rarely heard from in a murder
investigation. That was the parents of the killer, in this case, more
specifically, the father.
It was Monday, March 19, 2002 when the local folks
heard the news from the Woodford County Journal that a teenage boy had been
arrested in connection with the murder of Cherie Gillson. State’s Attorney Mike
Stroh told Steve Silverman, the Journal’s reporter, that they had in custody
David Stafford, a seventeen-year-old young man that lived in Enchanted Gardens
in Eureka, Illinois. The SA reported that his office had charged the young man
with five counts of first-degree murder. The charges had all kinds of nuances
having to do with degrees of murder. A burglary charge was attached to the
murder charges as well. Due to the suspect’s age the death penalty could not be
sought by Stroh’s office. Judge John Huschen set the boy’s bond at $100,000.00,
appointing young Stafford a public defender to represent him in the upcoming
hearings and trial.
David Stafford’s neighbor, Pam Maxwell told reporters
“I never met him but I knew he was weird.” It was Stafford’s father Robert
Stafford who had given the call to the police that finally broke the case. His
dad told the police and later the Woodford County Journal that his son “Had been
acting very strangely lately.”
Silverman reported that Stroh told the press that Bob
Stafford got suspicious of his son when the boy shaved his mustache and had
episodes of uncontrollable crying. Based on the tip from the father police
interviewed
David Stafford and from that interview the confession
was made that Stafford had killed and fondled Cherie Gillson.
The investigation revealed that Stafford had known
Mrs. Gillson from her bus monitoring employment. David’s father told the SA’s
office that his son knew the woman and thought that she was ‘Nice.’ David had even dropped in on Cherie when he
was driving around practicing for his driver’s license. “He was apparently very
fond of her,” commented the state’s attorney.
David Stafford told the SA that he killed Gillson
because “He was afraid he would get caught and she could identify him.”
Silverman continued his report outlining what he had been told by the state’s
attorney.
David Stafford entered the home on Court Street
through an unlocked door with the intention of borrowing some videotapes. He
was startled by a noise, which he went to investigate after he had armed
himself with a knife. When
he came upon Mrs. Gillson he stabbed her in the chest,
slashed her face, arms, wrists and other parts of her body. He then went on to
tell the SA in his confession that she died after he fondled her.
Stafford’s jacket and his gloves were found near the
Gillson home, which proved to be a valuable find. Police then searched the
Stafford home finding several things that would later be used in the murder
trial of David Stafford, who now faced up to sixty years if convicted. In David
Stafford’s bedroom closet the stolen videotapes were found in a suitcase
belonging to Stafford.
THE CORONER’S
INQUEST
On June the sixth, D Day for all you oldsters, the
coroner held the inquest over the body of Cherie Gillson calling a forensic
pathologist, Scott Denten to the stand. Denten, acting as the coroner’s
physician, told the jury that the victim had suffered 45 wounds all over her
body. He also pointed out that the wound that had actually ended her life was a
broad, deep cut to her upper abdomen. That knife thrust entered the body with
an upper motion that
pierced Mrs. Gillson’s liver, diaphragm and lung. The
expert went on to describe multiple stab and slashes to the victim’s face,
head, ears, neck, back, legs, ankles, arms and hands.
Coroner Ruestman explained to the jury: “Those were
from her trying to kick at or struggle with her attacker.” Reading into the
record, the coroner also told the jury that the lady was not raped and that her
blood-alcohol level was a low 0.031 percent. Chief Misner told the jury that he
had found Cherie Gillson lying on her back on her bed in her bedclothes with
her feet on the floor. The chief went on to describe to the jury the scene and
that he had found pieces of a butcher knife on the floor just inside the door
of an office near the victim’s bedroom.
The wooden handle had separated from the knife and was
found near the knife blade. For the record the coroner concluded with the fact
that Cherie was pronounced dead at 7:30 that morning but that she had been dead
at least two hours. The jury came back with a verdict that Cherie Gillson’s
death was a homicide and the usual recommendation to apprehend the person
responsible for the death was made.
THE FUROR
DIES DOWN
Like all shocking murders in large and small
communities, life goes on and people must move on to their normal lives. For
the loved ones of the victim the ache is there, but the sharp stabbing pains at
the heart subside. It was that way in Eureka, Illinois as well. JW Shults and
his reliable reporters occasionally had a short story to tell, like this one.
Stafford Made Escape Plan. JW
Shults went on to tell his readers that
the defense attorney Dan Harrod reported that his
client now l8, “Has exhibited unusual and bizarre behavior” since being jailed
for Gillson’s
murder. The defense attorney is asking the judge for a
hearing so that he might file a motion to have his client seen by another
psychologist. As part
of the motion, Mr. Harrod indicated that his client
had an escape plan that included using his broken glasses as a weapon.
The motion included reports that Stafford had covered
his cell window with shaving cream and wrapped his hands in a towel and
repeatedly struck the concrete walls with his fists. Mr. Harrod stated that the
strange behavior
might suggest that his client was not fit to stand
trial. Young Stafford had been previously seen in June by a psychologist that
had at that time reported him fit for trial.
At the hearing Harrod argued the specifics in his
motion before the court, but Judge Huschen, after hearing from both sides,
denied the motion and
set the trial for August 18, 2002, with a pre-trial
date of July 7.
Some excitement was raised when the Eureka newspaper
told its readers in a small headline: “Bloody Knife Found Six Months Later.” That
caught the eye of the locals and a new round of interest in the case began on
October 12, 2002, after the murder trial had been postponed. The new trial date
was to be October 21, 2002, but Harrod moved for a continuance after he
discovered that police had recovered yet another knife in the sofa at the
Gillson’s home.
That was six months after the murder and the defense
only just learned about the discovery. Records showed that there were no
fingerprints on the second knife. However, tests revealed that the preliminary
tests were positive for the victim’s blood.
Eureka Police Chief, Al Misner, told reporters that
the knife was found by some people moving furniture out of Gillson’s home. They
took the knife from the sofa and set it on a porch railing where a police
officer picked it up and turned it over to the state’s attorney. “It is hard to
believe it was just sticking in the cushions because we picked up the
cushions,” the chief said.
At the scene of the murder Misner reported finding a
bloody butcher knife with a broken handle. Police are usually content with one
murder weapon and Stafford never mentioned any second knife in his confessions
and talks to the investigators.
So the delay of a trial is commonplace in murder
trials, this one was certainly no different. JW Shults wrote an interesting
article about the young killer, David Stafford, after the trial. Here are a few
parts of that very well written article.
A CHILD BORN TO KILL
While most 8-year-olds want to grow up to be a doctor
or astronaut or president, David wanted to grow up to be a murderer. He got his
wish.
Woodford County State’s Attorney Mike Stroh said “It
almost appears as if David Stafford was born to kill.”
JW went on to tell his readers about a psychological
report from a children’s
home when David was eight years old.
“He likes to play that he is stabbing people, and when
he grows up he wants to be a murderer.”
The article went on to reveal Stafford’s early years,
a chilling, gripping piece that must have put a few goose bumps on his reader’s
skin. David Stafford was released from an Iowa Institution a day or so before
his murder of Cherrie Gillson. JW went on to quote David’s attorney Dan Harrod.
“The State of Iowa essentially washed its hands
of David Stafford failing to give him proper
treatment.”
The state’s attorney had his own version of the
defendant. “Did the
system fail David Stafford? Maybe,” said Stroh, “But
Stafford knows
exactly the difference between right and wrong. David
Stafford chooses to ignore right and wrong. Stop worrying about failing the
next David Stafford and start worrying about failing the next Cherie Gillson.”
Monday morning all roads led to the regal old
courthouse in Eureka, Illinois
The judge ruled that four music CD’s found in Stafford ’s bedroom would be allowed as evidence. Harrod
argued that they were obtained without a proper search warrant. Monday, the
first day of the trial, managed to clear up all the loose ends. Tuesday morning
the opening arguments would be heard by a jury of seven men and five women. The
big show was ready to proceed and once the courtroom settled down, and the
judge was seated, the murder trial of David Stafford began.
WE’RE READY
YOUR HONOR
For the People was Woodford County State’s Attorney
Mike Stroh along with Michael Vujovich an appellate prosecutor. Representing
David Stafford was Attorney Dan Harrod. The opening arguments allowed the two
sides to tell the jury what it was they hoped to prove, it wasn’t evidence, but
it sure as hell gave a preview of what was to come. The jury was attentive, their
eyes riveted to the lawyers, only occasionally did they glance over at the
young defendant.
“Call your first witness counselor.” Methodically the
case against Stafford was paraded before the jury. The jury was told through
witnesses and exhibits that Stafford’s fingerprints were discovered on the two
videotape boxes found at the scene of the murder. Harrod countered that his
client had been in the home before and those prints did not mean a thing.
Dramatically, Dr. Denton, the medical examiner, told
the jury that Cherie Gillson had up to 55 wounds on her body from the killer’s
attack. With graphic detail he told the
jury of the cuts across the victim’s face, through her nose and through the
jugular vein. Along with other expert witnesses the prosecution admitted into
evidence a blue leather jacket found a few blocks from the murder scene. The
real terrorizing and dramatic testimony came Wednesday when the prosecutors
played Stafford’s taped confession to the crowded courtroom. The horror of the
assault became crystal clear as the young killer’s voice filled the room.
THE CONFESSION
The statement the detectives took from the suspect was
recorded on Saint Patrick’s Day, and as it rolled on the detectives became more
and more irritated with the witness. They urged the suspect to divulge more
information about his involvement in the killing of Cherie Gillson. One of the
state investigators, Joe Spindle told the young man that he was withholding
information and pleaded with him to be more truthful and forthcoming. Stafford
finally admitted that he had entered the Gillson home through an unlocked front
door about three the morning of the murder.
“I heard something,” the witness told investigators. “I
grabbed a knife…it scared me.”
The jury leaned forward and some spectators cocked
their heads to hear as the killer admitted how he had killed Cherie Gillson.
After he heard the sound, and with the knife in his hands, he discovered Cherie
in her bedroom doorway. He told the jury that he panicked and lashed out at her
with the knife. ( No mention of a ‘second knife’.)
“I said ‘Oh God’ and she slapped me and it set me off.
I did not want to kill her,” Stafford said, as his voice
lowered on the tape. “That was not my intention or
anything else. I stood there in shock, I can’t believe
I did this.
She was saying ‘Help me!’”
As folks shook their heads, anguish showed on the
faces of not only the jurors, but many of the spectators as well as the
incriminating tape continued to roll.
“I basically told her there was nothing I could do,
and she was on her own, and she was gone.”
The tape went on to say that Stafford had walked home
trying to be careful
to avoid detection. Once he got home he took a shower
and went to bed.
Other evidence was put on by expert witnesses
including the blue jacket with the victim’s blood on it and testimony
concerning fingerprints at the scene of the murder.
HEART-RENDING DRAMA
Hearts were tugged at when the young son, Coty, now
only ten went on the stand to tell about his discovery of his dead mother. The
young man was solemn but composed as he answered questions put to him by the
prosecutor.
He told the jury that he had slept in a basement
bedroom, and that he had heard nothing during the night to awaken him. He went
upstairs to his mother’s dark bedroom and found her lying on her back on her
bed.
“I tried
to wake her up again and she didn’t wake up. I yelled,
‘mom it’s
time to get up.’ I looked over and saw a broken
blade. I
called 911 five times and they didn’t answer.”
More evidence from the defendant shocked many of the
jurors and spectators as well. Stafford, according to testimony actually set
his clock for 2:00 a.m. so that he could walk over to the Gillson’s home to
“borrow” some videos. Apparently he was allowed to borrow tapes before, but to
set out at two in the morning aroused suspicion in the minds of the jurors.
Mike Stroh told the jury “Stafford grabbed a kitchen knife and assaulted
Gillson. That set him off into a violent rage. Cherie still tried to fight…but
the defendant kept slashing.” Stroh hesitated, walked toward the jury “He then
lay on the bed next to Cherrie and fondled her. In her dying breath she asked,
‘What did I do?’ The killer’s answer to the dying woman was ‘Everything.’ The
last words that Cherrie Gillson would ever hear were ‘Good bye bitch!’”
Almost unprecedented was the testimony of Stafford’s
father, Bob Stafford. It is rare indeed for a parent to not only turn their
loved one over to the police but to aid in the prosecution…unheard of to say
the least. With dignity and the admiration of the people that listened, Bob
Stafford helped convict his son. He knew that he had to stop this young man
from killing anyone else…it was his duty and he did it. His heart broke…he
cried, but he managed somehow to get through the ordeal.
Mr. Stafford contacted Sheriff Ernie Bigelow and told
him that he suspected his very own son in the murder of Cherie Gillson. “David
told me
that he had murdered Cherie Gillson. He couldn’t
explain why, he
couldn’t tell me why.” He went on to add that his son
started acting in a strange manner, which caused him to finally confront his
son. “I told David
that you guys were good people and that you would not
hurt him. I told
him to be honest and tell the truth.”
J. Rassi who shared a cell with Stafford told the jury
that Stafford confessed to him that he had killed Mrs. Gillson. “I talked to
him a little bit about it almost everyday. He was crying at night and wanted to
write a letter to the kids.”
DNA experts matched the blood and that brought a round
of cross-examination from the defense. Mr. Harrod also put on as a defense
witness, Trooper Joe Spidle concerning the mental state of Stafford
after he was arrested. The trooper ended the discussion with “ I found him to be
very articulate.” Testimony about the second knife
found in the couch was interesting as Sgt. Michael Oyer testified that the
couch was thoroughly searched and that they used it to place the rest of the
evidence upon it.
That knife was found in September and the blood on it
matched that of the deceased.
THE JURY
DELIBERATES
It took the Woodford County Jury all of twenty-five
minutes to convict 18-year-old David Stafford for the murder of Cherie Gillson.
Cherie’s brother
Jay Miller, told newspaper reporters “I am very
pleased that the family will see some closure and hopefully Cherrie can rest in
peace knowing that justice has been done.”
Jay went on to praise Bob Stafford for his testimony.
“I thought it took a real man to do what he did. If he hadn’t come forward we
might never have known who killed Cherie.”
It was October 6, 2003 when the court reconvened for
the sentencing phase of the murder trial. These are full-blown open court
hearings and if the defendant has a friend in the world this is the time to
have them step forward. There was none in this case.
Everyone took a shot at the Iowa officials that washed
their hands of David Stafford, and Judge Huschen let the people know quickly
where his mind was. “I am appalled by the State of Iowa in their treatment of
David Stafford. Why they didn’t do anything surely isn’t addressed in any of
the reports.”
Testimony and arguments from both sides were presented
and Harrod asked the court for a sentence of twenty to sixty years. Mike Stroh
addressed the court. “It almost appears David Stafford was born to kill. These
reports indicate that David Stafford has been a violent, dangerous person for
the better part of his life. If given the chance, he would do it again.”
The judge then spoke about the murder as “Too
senseless and too vicious to allow for anything short of the maximum sentence.”
Judge John Huschen then sentenced the defendant David Stafford to life in
prison.
Cherie’s family, while very upset with the Iowa
authorities, accepted the verdict. Jay Miller spoke for the family when he told
reporters “It brings closure in the sense that another family won’t have to go
through this by his hand. It is still something I’ll think about everyday.
Closure for me personally will take time.”
Editor’s Note:
Norm Kelly is a Peoria Historian and author of many books available in
the local libraries. He welcomes your
comments. norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net
