Calhoun Officer Arrested Man Two Years Ago Now Charged in Decade-Old Disappearance Case in the Metro East

By Benjamin Cox on February 15, 2023 at 12:55pm

Sutton (IL Dept. of Corrections Photo)

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest of an individual two years ago that has now led to charges being brought in a decades-old disappearance case from the Metro East.

On February 2nd, Madison County State’s Attorney Thomas Haine announced in a press conference that 55-year-old Roger D. Sutton, Jr. formerly of Pontoon Beach and his nephew, 32 year old Nathan J. Beyer of Alton have been charged with the concealment of a homicidal death in the 2013 disappearance of 40 year old Patrenia “Trina” Butler-Turner of East St. Louis. Sutton has also been charged with first-degree murder. The relationship between Butler-Turner and the men is yet known.

Butler-Turner was reported missing in January 2013 by her family after was last seen getting into a red pickup in East St. Louis. Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic said in the February 2nd press conference that Butler-Turner would remain missing until a tip had come in about skeletal remains being discovered in a wooded area near Pontoon Beach in December. Modrusic said DNA from the remains confirmed they were that of Butler-Turner. The authorities also said her cause of death has been determined to be strangulation and blunt force trauma from an alleged beating.

According to a post from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, Calhoun County Deputy Sheriff Zack Orr arrested Sutton in May 2021 in a traffic stop for possession of methamphetamine. Sutton pled guilty to the charge in Calhoun County Circuit Court on April 19, 2022 and was sentenced to 2 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. According to Riverbender, Sutton has multiple previous convictions for residential burglary, unlawful restraint, and battery. According to KSDK in St. Louis, Sutton was set to be paroled from the Centralia Correction Center on February 14th in the Calhoun County case. Once he finishes his initial sentence, Sutton Jr. will be transferred to the Madison County Jail to await court proceedings. Haine said in the press conference that Sutton will be held on $3 million bond. Beyer’s bail has been set at $500,000, and he is currently lodged at the Madison County Jail.

The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with further information should contact the Pontoon Beach Police Department at 618-931-5100 or leave an anonymous tip with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 618-296-3000.