SALINE CO/ELDORADO— It appears Eldorado Chief of Police Shannon Deuel is responsible for a late-July “kidnapping” incident, which made headlines across the country, and which very well could have turned deadly… all because he put overtime concerns over the safety of the general public.
The high-profile incident has raised questions about the long-time police chief at a time when he has just returned to work in Eldorado on a consistent basis, this after bilking taxpayers through workman’s compensation for months, all while reportedly being employed at a Harrisburg gun range.
Meanwhile, two young people from Georgia, at the heart of the “kidnapping that wasn’t really a kidnapping,” have found themselves hemmed up on charges in neighboring Missouri, where they drove on the evening of July 23 in an allegedly stolen vehicle, and charges against them are pending here in Illinois.
Thugs assault citizen
According to sources, on July 23 at approximately 3:02 p.m., Chief Deuel and Eldorado officer James Williams were in the Eldorado Police Department when county dispatch advised them that had received a 911 call from Jeff French, who was at Ferrell Hospital, reporting that he had been assaulted by two males, one with a knife and the other with a gun.
French told officers that he and his niece, Amy French, had been driving eastbound on Benton Street when he noticed two males standing in the middle of the road.
One, later identified as 19-year-old Roy Austin Rector, of 406 Apple St., Broughton, was on a bicycle waiving his hands in the air.
The other male was later identified as 23-year-old Sonny R. Pilgrim, of 1113 Beulah St., Eldorado.
French said he pulled up to Rector and Pilgrim and asked them to get out of the road.
Rector is said to have flipped off French, who then asked him what his problem was, to which Rector responded, “No you have the problem!” and then spat on French.
Gun pulled
That’s when French said Rector pulled out a knife and was threatening French to get out of his truck.
“Pull it out!” Rector shouted to Pilgrim, who upon that command pulled out a black handgun and pointed it toward the ground.
When French informed the pair he was calling the police, Rector attempted to get Pilgrim to take the knife, but he refused.
Rector then took off on a bicycle, scraping the knife down the side of French’s truck.
Pilgrim was seen running toward the east side of Ferrell Hospital.
Deuel located Pilgrim in the north parking lot of the hospital and he was taken into custody.
When French showed authorities where he had last seen Pilgrim, near the hospital, they found a backpack hidden under an overturned trash can.
The backpack contained a black airsoft handgun, one cannabis smoking device and one bottle of alcohol.
Informed authorities he was a felon
After speaking with Pilgrim, who informed authorities that he was from Georgia and was a convicted felon, Deuel, Williams and Trooper Ashley Reeder went to speak with Pilgrim’s girlfriend’s step-grandfather, Carlton VanNess.
VanNess said the backpack belonged to Pilgrim and even identified the airsoft handgun as his.
He told officers he used it on stray animals on his property and informed them that Pilgrim had taken it from his home some time ago.
Chief orders officers NOT to guard suspect
With Pilgrim in custody, Williams drove to the Eldorado Police Department at which time Pilgrim informed him that he had swallowed two small baggies of methamphetamine.
Officer Williams took Pilgrim to the local emergency room to be checked out.
While there he was advised that French was at the police department to give his statement.
Officer Clint Hooper arrived at the hospital for shift change to keep an eye on Pilgrim at which time officer Williams returned to the police department to get a statement from French.
When Hooper advised Chief Shannon Deuel that the hospital was going to keep Pilgrim overnight for observation, Deuel, more worried about overtime than public safety, ordered the officer to clear the hospital and that they could file charges in the next couple of days.
Leaves hospital/takes girlfriend
Later that night a call came in that Courtney B. Godwin, 19, (Pilgrim’s girlfriend) had been abducted at knife-point from her step-grandparents’ home in Eldorado.
Pilgrim, unguarded via Chief Deuel’s orders, reportedly left the hospital, entered the step-grandparents’ home wielding a knife, took some cash, car keys and toted Godwin out the door, put her in the car and fled.
A nationwide all-points bulletin was issued and internet social media pages were buzzing as thousands began looking for/keeping an eye out for the kidnapped teen and her alleged abductor.
Found in Missouri
The pair was spotted the next day at a truck stop in Mathews, Mo., in the southeast part of the state, and subsequently taken into custody.
Godwin appeared in a New Madrid County, Mo., courtroom July 28 where she pled guilty to one count each of Unlawful Tampering with a Motor Vehicle and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
She was sentenced to 10 days in the county jail.
Pilgrim was charged in Missouri with Unlawful Tampering with a Motor Vehicle and Resisting Arrest.
His case has not yet completed its journey through the Missouri court system.
Meanwhile, back in Saline
Back in Saline County, Pilgrim and Godwin, both of 1113 Beulah St., Eldorado, have both been charged in what many are calling a dangerous juvenile prank.
Pilgrim faces charges of Armed Robbery after authorities say he took not only the key to Carlton Herman VanNess’ Chevy Equinox but $4 in cash, Kidnapping for allegedly using force in carrying Ms. Godwin away with intent to confine her against her will, and Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, identified as Ness’ 2005 Equinox.
Bond in Pilgrim’s case has been set at $50,000 cash.
Godwin, on the other hand, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.
Godwin is said to have told authorities in Missouri that she left willingly with Pilgrim.
Thus far no formal charges have been filed for false reporting and the like.
Cash bond in her case has been set at $2,000.
Rector charged
Nearly lost in all the ruckus was the fate of the alleged mad spitter, Roy Austin Lee Rector.
The man with four names and arguably a disagreeable personality, who has been in the pages of Disclosure repeatedly since the tender age of 15, was formally charged with Criminal Damage to Property $300-$10,000 and Aggravated Assault in a Public Place.
At the time of his arrest, Rector was out on bond in a June 10 case in which he is charged with Assault.
Rector is currently behind bars in the county detention center on a $1,000 cash bond.