EUREKA — A tip from a passerby who spotted a car on a bridge, combined with the cooperative efforts of law enforcement authorities, led to the quick arrest of a couple accused in a grisly homicide, police and prosecutors said Thursday.
Rayshawn Johnson, 23, of Bloomington, and Vishawn Mills, 24, of Indianapolis, were arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis in connection with the death of Oakley T. Mitchell, 74, of Secor.
Mills, who is Johnson’s girlfriend, is described as Mitchell’s home health care worker . Police said the couple lived at Mitchell’s home.
The case’s quick turnaround is “a great example of how it’s supposed to work when multiple agencies get together to solve something within that magical 48-hour window we always hear about,” Woodford County State’s Attorney Greg Minger said at a press conference in Eureka.
Part of Mitchell’s then-unidentified body was found Saturday in McLean County. Other remains were found Tuesday at his home in rural Woodford County.
Minger confirmed a firearm was used in the slaying, but would not discuss how many times Mitchell was shot. Authorities also did not discuss a news report that Mitchell’s body was burned.
Woodford County has charged Johnson with murder; he is jailed in Woodford County in lieu of $100,000. A court appearance is planned Friday and Minger anticipates more charges.
Mills is charged in McLean County with concealing a homicidal death. She appeared in court Thursday via a video connection, and Associate Judge Michael Stroh kept the bond she must post at $25,025. The charge accuses her of disposing Mitchell’s body sometime between Aug. 2 and Aug. 4.
After the hearing, State’s Attorney Jason Chambers said the date range reflects an ongoing investigation into when Mitchell was killed and when part of his body was dumped into the river.
The investigation focused on Mitchell as the possible victim after a piece of unspecified “personal information” was located during Monday’s autopsy. That clue led police to Mitchell’s residence, where they found a family member checking on his well-being, said McLean County Sheriff’s Lt. Jon Sandage, who leads the department’s criminal investigations division.
Emery said a witness earlier had shared a vague description of a vehicle and a woman he saw about 6:20 a.m. Saturday on the Illinois 251 bridge south of Kappa, where Mitchell’s torso was found a couple hours later.
Police, with a search warrant, collected evidence from Mitchell’s house Monday and Tuesday and found more remains on the second day, Sandage told The Pantagraph.
That search revealed evidence that pointed to Indianapolis, said Sandage. Court documents list Mills’ address as Indianapolis and Pantagraph archives show that Johnson lived in Indianapolis as a youngster.
McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling has asked a private lab to confirm that the remains are those of Mitchell, although her office has issued a presumptive identity.
Minger said Mitchell’s death is the first homicide in Woodford County in seven years and that residents should feel safe.
While McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery had sharp words for an Indianapolis police detective who released several key details of the case to a TV reporter the day before the Eureka press conference, he also thanked others at that department for their assistance.
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