Ronald W. Martin Jr., 45, of Sheridan, Illinois, is now in custody, following his identification as the suspect in a tragic incident involving a double murder. Authorities responded to a 911 call early on July 17th regarding gunshots at a rural residence and, around 1:17 AM, a call regarding the house on fire. After extinguishing the blaze, deputies found two individuals deceased inside. Five people were in the home at the time; one managed to escape and contact authorities, while another suffered non-gunshot injuries. Law enforcement agencies, including the Illinois State Police and U.S. Marshals, collaborated extensively, leading to Martin’s arrest. The LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office said an autopsy is necessary to determine the cause of death for the two victims. They said it’s safe to say the victims are adults. Ronald Martin Jr. has been charged with six counts of murder.
According to court documents obtained by ABC7 Chicago, Ronald Martin of Sheridan is accused of shooting two people, identified by authorities as Sidney Schiltz, 41, and Melissa Vissman, 42. According to ABC7 Chicago, the suspect was found hiding in bushes on his family’s property about 30 miles away from the crime scene in LaSalle. Credit ABC7.Chicago.com.