A Springfield native is set to star in an upcoming film about the story surrounding an infamous serial killer.
23-year old Aaliyah Kissick, known for being 2023’s Miss Illinois United States, is set to star in the film The Baton Rouge Serial Killer: Derrick Todd Lee due out later this year. The film is written, directed, and starred in by former WWE superstar Bishop Stevens.
Stevens co-wrote the story with well-known serial killer historian E.J. Hammon. Early filming for the movie took place in Decatur this November, with more scenes set to be shot in Decatur this Spring. Stevens told the Byers & Company podcast at WSOY that fellow actor and Decatur resident Kevin Miller told him to bring filming to Central Illinois.
Lee is suspected to have traversed through Illinois and Missouri as a truck driver in 1992 until the time of his apprehension by Louisiana authorities in 2004. Treneisha Colomb was one of seven confirmed victims of Derrick Todd Lee. She was murdered shortly after returning from Basic Combat Training in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. Her family created The Colomb Foundation in her memory to promote personal safety for women and children.
Kissick, who bares a strong resemblance to Colomb, has been cast to play her in the film. Kissick, who is also a member of the Illinois National Guard, will bring that insight to the character: “Treneisha Colomb’s story is heart-wrenching. I want to portray her respectfully. Her family deserves nothing but the best.”
The film’s trailer has been accepted to festivals nationally, including the Upstate New York Horror Film Festival. The film will be available for streaming on all major platforms later this year.