Unsolved: Police face mounting pile of homicide cases
It's been nearly two years since Marcus Wells was fatally shot at an apartment complex in Springfield.
It was Sept. 1, 2012, when Wells was shot. More than 20 people were at a party at the East McDaniel Street apartment, but most of those people fled and witnesses were not cooperative, police said.
The Wells death is one of eight open homicides in Springfield over the past two years.
"What is unusual is the number of cases we have right now that are open," Capt. David Millsap said, adding that it's difficult to link them with a trend. "Homicides are so difficult to categorize. Sometimes you initially have a break and can make an arrest very quickly."
But even in the eight unsolved homicides, police haven't lost hope.
"In the vast majority of these, we have movement and focus on the investigations," he said.
In Wells' case, police publicly said days after the shooting that they wanted to question a man named Carlos Tureaud. He was arrested almost a year later and charged with an unrelated crime.
Wells was a documented gang member with a criminal record.
"They're different how they play out investigatively," Millsap said. "Sometimes the lifestyle leads to us making quick connections on who the suspect may be. Sometimes the lifestyle is such that it leaves us with multiple suspects, and in other cases it leaves us with no suspects to comb through."
For those involved in "drug trade or violent crime," it becomes difficult to "plow through the witnesses and get them to cooperate," Millsap said. Even if there are witnesses, they're often hesitant to talk because they fear retribution.
Millsap declined to categorize all the open cases. He said saying too much about investigations can be harmful to the process.
Included here is a summary of what is known about the other seven open homicides from the past two years:
• Mashaun Turpenning, Nov. 16, 2012
Turpenning, 45, was shot in the 2300 block of South Delaware Avenue, police said.
Residents reported hearing gunshots about 11:30 p.m., and police found Turpenning in the driver's seat of a running car. Police said they don't believe the shooting was random.
• Gregory Dahmm, Aug. 18, 2013
Dahmm, 36, was shot in an alley near the 2700 block of South Campbell Avenue, police said.
Police released surveillance video of a possible suspect walking in the alley at the suspected time of Dahmm's death, which occurred on the other side of a wooden fence from his home.
• Austin O'Neal, Nov. 8, 2013
O'Neal, 28, was shot in the driveway of his home in the 4000 block of South Fort Avenue. O'Neal had a criminal record and police said they didn't believe the shooting was random.
• Curtis Payne, Feb. 11, 2014
Payne, 31, was found shot at a home in the 2300 block of South Dollison Avenue in what police called a "targeted act."
Police responded to an ongoing burglary at the home that evening, but believe Payne "belonged" at the home and was not a suspected burglar. Payne had recently been released from prison when the shooting happened.
• Jessica Conner, April 11, 2014
Conner, 26, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her home in the 1100 block of North Sherman Avenue, police say.
Prosecutors say Conner had previously been a victim of domestic violence, at the hands of multiple suspects.
• Gary and Jan Tyrrell, May 1, 2014
Gary Tyrrell, 60, and Jan Tyrrell, 61, were found dead at their home in the 3200 block of South Greenbrier Avenue. Police have not said how the couple died.
Officials maintain the cause of death is an important part of the investigation. That information is often given in the first days after a homicide, but in this case has not been released in almost two months.
Police say the act was not random but have not elaborated on why they believe it's not random.
Millsap said each of these cases has its own dynamics, and even if there are similarities, police won't elaborate.
"When we investigate homicide cases, we play our cards very close to our vest," he said. "The more you talk about homicide cases, the more you let it be driven by the media or community outrage, or you say something in public you don't have enough facts about."
He said police will release information if they believe the community is at risk, or if they could obtain information, such as when they released the surveillance video in the Dahmm homicide.
While police remain tight-lipped, they never shut out the public completely because investigators are always seeking information.
The release of information also becomes tricky when dealing with families of victims.
"We try to stay in contact with families as much as possible," Millsap said. "We give them as much information as we can without jeopardizing the cases. We can't be as open as we'd like to be."
Police do try to do what they can to reassure families. One way they can do that is to emphasize progress.
"When I sit down with homicide investigators, that's what I want to know — are we moving in a positive direction?" Millsap said. "On most of these cases, we still have really good focus and are making some positive movement."
Solved homicides
While police continue to investigate eight homicides since 2012, 25 have been solved.
• Linda Riley - Jay Rothe pleaded guilty to murder
• Javon Carter - Joshua Brown pleaded guilty to murder
• Benjamin Garrison - Austin Pelley pleaded guilty to murder
• Bobby Newman - Robert Sondree pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter
• Trevor Reynolds - William Jones pleaded guilty to murder
• Robert Pugh - Jarrod Sirois found guilty of murder
• James Davis - Marlo Hodges scheduled for murder trial in October
• Doris Nickols - Jason Nickols shot his wife before killing himself
• Kelly Frech - Adam Bergseth later killed by police
• Ronald Greenan - case cleared but no charges
• Kevin Engh - Marya Von Brandt charged with murder
• Kimberly Walker - Darrell Smith charged with murder
• Steven McCarty - case cleared but no charges
• Curtis Storey - Killed by brother Ryan Storey in self defense
• James Belvin - Edward Andresen charged with murder
• Angela Holbrook - Jonathan Greer charged with murder
• Shaun Staudte - Diane and Rachel Staudte charged with murder
• Mark Staudte - Diane and Rachel Staudte charged with murder
• Lilly Adams - Killed by mother Jassez Sager before she killed herself
• Noah Adams - Killed by mother Jassez Sager before she killed herself
• Stephanie Fajardo - Killed by her husband Rudy Fajardo before he killed himself
• Christopher Williams - Michael Speed charged with murder
• Martin Potts - Killed by police, ruled justified
• Jeremy Strahle - William Smith charged with murder
• Hailey Owens - Craig Wood charged with murder
The victims
• Marcus L. Wells, 24, Sept. 1, 2012 (not pictured)
• Mashaun Turpenning, 45, Nov. 16, 2012 (not pictured)
• (Clockwise from top left)Gregory Dahmm, 36, Aug. 18, 2013
• Austin O'Neal, 28, Nov. 8, 2013
• Curtis Payne, 31, Feb. 11, 2014
• Jessica Conner, 26, April 11, 2014
• Gary Tyrell, 60, and Jan Tyrrell, 61, May 1, 2014