Bond was set at $5 million for a person arrested and charged with the homicide of an Illinois welfare employee who was stabbed to dying whereas conducting a house go to Tuesday.
Benjamin Reed, 32, was arrested on expenses of first-degree homicide, aggravated battery, and illegal restraint for allegedly stabbing and killing 36-year-old Diedre Silas, a state Division of Youngsters and Household Providers investigator.
Silas was allegedly conducting a welfare examine on a minimum of one of many youngsters dwelling within the house when she was attacked by Reed, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell stated Wednesday.
Campbell stated authorities arrived on the house Thursday afternoon and compelled their method into the house after they noticed blood close to the door, the place they discovered Silas useless inside.
Police obtained a search warrant, which led to them discovering Reed at a close-by hospital hours later, the place he acquired therapy for a lower on his hand earlier than being taken to Sangamon County Jail.
Six youngsters of undisclosed ages had been additionally present in the home, though Campbell stated he wasn't positive if any noticed the incident that led to Silas' dying. He additionally stated they had been in protecting custody on the time of the press convention Wednesday.
Authorities imagine a minimum of one of many youngsters is expounded to Reed and a number of adults had been seemingly dwelling within the house, Campbell stated.
Thayer, the city the place the house was situated, is about 23 miles south of Springfield.
Sangamon County State's Lawyer Dan Wright stated conviction may put Reed in jail for all times if a court docket finds the conduct in Silas' dying "exceptionally brutal, heinous and indicative of wanton cruelty."
However at a late Wednesday information convention, Wright parried questions on why Silas was visiting the house, why she went alone and whether or not there was a suspected risk there, saying that responses "are related sufficient to this investigation that it isn't acceptable to reply these questions."
That pissed off members of Silas' household, together with her 61-year-old father Roy Graham, who introduced Diedre from Jamaica when she was 10. He noticed the married mom of two develop her love for serving to youngsters as early as highschool, mentoring grade college youngsters and volunteering for Sparc, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting folks with mental and developmental disabilities.
"Why do you actually assault my daughter? I can not perceive why you'd do this," Graham stated after then information convention. "I do know she'd be begging for her life. Why? She did not come to speak to you.... That is brutal, mischievous, hardcore stuff."
DCFS Director Marc Smith stated the final investigator to be killed on obligation occurred about 4 years in the past. Smith stated the company trains its employees in easy methods to strategy numerous conditions, together with going right into a risky setting. Workers members determine whether or not to go alone, in pairs, or summon police safety, he stated.
"On this tragic circumstance, the household we had been there to assist had a destructive response to our presence," Smith stated. "We're not avoiding any duty. We take duty for all of our employees, in addition to the youngsters and households that we serve. We'll proceed to work, we'll proceed to enhance our insurance policies and procedures as we will."
Silas had simply joined the division in August after working within the behavioral well being area for seven years on the Division of Juvenile Justice, in response to an announcement by Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Staff, which represents DCFS workers.
"This tragedy is a stark reminder that frontline DCFS workers like Deidre do demanding, harmful and important jobs daily, usually regardless of insufficient sources and large stress," AFSCME Govt Director Roberta Lynch stated.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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