A Murrayville man who went missing last week died from apparent gunshot wounds. Morgan County Coroner Marcy Patterson confirmed in communication this morning that 32 year old Robert “Joey” Schofield died from gunshot wounds. Schofield’s body was found located in a field at approximately 4PM Thursday on Gobbler Road in rural Murrayville.
Foul play is suspected in Schofield’s death, according to a press release from Morgan County Chief of Detectives Lieutenant Brent Penner released last week. Schofield’s vehicle with his personal firearm were found abandoned on a back road near a new home he was building on Sheriff Road in rural Murrayville. Family were able to ping his cellphone at 7:30PM Sunday, October 4th about 5 miles east of the new home site where the car was located. There has been no indication if his cellphone was ever recovered. Schofield was last seen alive traveling on the Nortonville Blacktop last Sunday evening after leaving work at Nestle in Jacksonville. Schofield was officially reported missing the following Monday when he didn’t show up to work.
Morgan County Sheriff’s Deputies booked 35 year old Kenneth J. Acree of the 2300 block of Gobbler Road in Murrayville into the Morgan County Jail at 10:35PM Friday night for concealment of a homicide or death. A separate murder citation was added to Acree on Saturday night. According to a Facebook Page that is attached to Acree’s name, he is allegedly Schofield’s cousin.
Inquiries at the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department into the circumstances and investigation around Schofield’s homicide have not been returned. The Illinois State Police have also not released any further information surrounding the incident.
This is a developing story.