The Jacksonville Police Department and the Morgan County Coroner’s Office have identified the alleged suspect and victim in an early morning murder on West Beecher Avenue.
Jacksonville Police responded to the 200 block of West Beecher Avenue at approximately 3:40AM Monday. According to initial reports to dispatch, police were told 7 gunshots were fired in the vicinity. Upon arrival, officers found no indication of a shooting but instead found a woman deceased in a van. The Morgan County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as 33-year old Kathryn D. Patton Scott of South Jacksonville. Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that Scott died of multiple stab wounds.
Officers located a male suspect at the scene hiding near some bushes in the vicinity. Officers took the suspect, identified by Jacksonville Police as 43-year old Joshua E. Jones, into custody for further questioning. Jones is now being detained in connection to the murder and has been initially cited for homicide.
According to online court records at the time of this report, no court case information has been filed.
The case remains under investigation by the Jacksonville Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Morgan County Court’s Office.
If anyone has any further information regarding this investigation, please contact the Jacksonville Police Department at 217-479-4630 or the Morgan-Scott-Cass Crime Stoppers at (217) 243-7300.