A Macoupin County jury convicted a Medora man on all counts in a 2018 murder case on Thursday.
39 year old David W. Buck, Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder, possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Aggravated Unlawful Restraint, and Felon in Possession of a Weapon after a Macoupin County jury deliberated for a little less than three hours on Thursday afternoon.
Buck was convicted of shooting 34 year old Rachel E. Warren in the head in a home in the 400 block of North Main Street in Chesterfield in February 2018. According to information provided by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office to Advantage News, Warren and Allen Wheeler, also of Chesterfield, picked up Buck the afternoon of February 8, 2018. Buck was described as a former friend of the two. Once at Warren’s house, Buck shot Warren in the head and abducted Wheeler, who was forced at gunpoint to drive into the countryside to dispose of the weapon. Buck then stole Wheeler’s truck and led authorities on a high-speed chase from Macoupin into Jersey County. Riverbender reported at the time the chase caused the Southwestern School District to go into a soft lock down the day of the chase. Buck was charged and lodged at the Macoupin County Jail on $1 million.
The jury trial in the case began on Monday in Macoupin County Circuit Court and was presided over by Judge Joshua A. Meyer. A sentencing hearing in the case has been set for February 17th. Due to the multiple charges and the aggravating factor of using a firearm during the shooting, Buck faces up to life in prison.