GRANITE CITY, Ill. — An ex-convict who police believe killed eight people in two states and who was the subject of a multi-state manhunt was caught Tuesday evening in southwestern Illinois, authorities said. Illinois State Police officers caught Nicholas T. Sheley, 28, shown at right, in Granite City, said FBI spokeswoman Kelly Brennan. She didn’t elaborate.
Authorities said they linked Sheley to the killings of eight people in Illinois and Missouri, including a 93-year-old man, a child and a couple whose blood-soaked dogs were found roaming a motel parking lot. Sheley has been charged in the death of only one of the eight. He faces charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery and vehicular hijacking in the death of Ronald Randall, whose body was found Monday in Galesburg, Ill., police said. An autopsy showed the 65-year-old died from blunt-force trauma to the head.
Investigators said that the other victims all appeared to have died in the same manner and that evidence linked to Sheley was recovered at each scene. The FBI and Illinois State Police declined to elaborate.
