Pair Accused of Sexual Assault, Carjacking in Adams Co. Have Bond Set

By Benjamin Cox on November 17, 2021 at 12:06pm

A Quincy Woman and Springfield man facing multiple charges in Adams County Court revealed an interesting discovery yesterday.

34 year old Bradley Yohn and 33 year old Karen Blackledge were in Adams County Court yesterday to hear charges of home invasion, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated vehicular hijacking, residential burglary, and aggravated criminal sexual assault. The two had been extradited from the Sangamon County Jail on Monday after being arrested by Springfield Police and U.S. Marshals last Wednesday.

According to KHQA, Judge Tad Brenner read court documents that revealed Yohn was mistakenly released from jail in St. Charles County, Missouri last month just three weeks before his alleged crimes in Adams County. Yohn had been arrested October 19th in St. Charles County on charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, with a cash-only bond of $50,000. However, officials there inexplicably released Yohn without posting the bond, and charges were refiled the next day, according to the Quincy Herald Whig.

Brenner then announced he had decided to increase Yohn’s bond from $10 million to $15 million. Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck told KHQA it was the highest bond she had ever witnessed being set in Adams County.

Brenner also noted Yohn’s prior convictions in Adams, Pike, Morgan, Sangamon, Scott, and Hancock counties in Illinois, as well as in Marion and Audrain counties in Missouri. According to WGEM, Brenner also pointed out pending charges in Marion and St. Charles counties in Missouri. And, he said Yohn was found to be in possession of items belonging to the alleged victim. Blackledge’s bond is set at $5 million.

Brenner ordered that both Blackledge and Yohn have ankle bracelet GPS monitoring, report daily to the Adams County probation office, and have no contact with any of the alleged victims if they were to make bail.

Springfield Police are continuing to investigate whether Yohn and Blackledge are responsible for the shooting death of 30 year old Derek Banker Barnett of Virden, whose body was discovered in a car in a nearby alley where Yohn and Blackledge were apprehended.

Both defendants were appointed public defenders yesterday in Adams County Court. Their next court hearing has been set for Monday morning.