5 Illinois Family Members Found Beaten To Death

[dawnmpeters]

BEASON -- Authorities will answer questions later this morning about a homicide in Beason that left multiple family members dead.

Early today, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols told The Pantagraph that no one is in custody and would not comment on suspects. He warned the small community to be cautious. "I think people do need to lock their doors and take precautions," he said.

He said everyone in the family is accounted for. A news conference is planned for 11 a.m. in Lincoln. McLean County Emergency Management Agency has dispatched its search and rescue team to help with the investigation and Logan County EMA has a command post at the Beason Fire Department.

Postmaster Jodie Duncan said 10 Beason children usually ride the school bus to attend Chester-East Lincoln Elementary and Lincoln Community High School. This morning, when the bus arrived across the street from the post office, she screamed to the driver, "Rita, none of the kids are here."

At least three of the 10 children are believed to be from the family.

The deaths were reported around 4 p.m. Monday and investigators remain at the house today. Two bodies were removed around 6 a.m. A police SUV and mobile crime scene trailer were backed into the driveway of the family's home on Broadway Street.

The lone survivor, believed to be a young child, was airlifted to a Peoria hospital yesterday afternoon.

Authorities have not released the names of the victims. Police continue to block traffic on some streets in town.

Family friend Russell Miller said he saw the adult male victim Sunday night as he went for groceries in a nearby town.

"I'm almost in disbelief as to what I'm hearing," Russell said early today.

Beason, with about 200 people, is a farming community located along Route 10 between Lincoln and Clinton.

This story will be updated.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c03286.html

[Awhell]

http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11174918

This one says that it is thought to be five dead and one child injured.

[dawnmpeters]

http://www.mariondaily.com/newsnow/x...ed-in-Illinois

Logan County officials are investigating what appears to be a mass murder.

Five members of the Raymond Gee family of Beason were found murdered inside their residence Monday afternoon, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said Tuesday.

Authorities said they have no suspects.

Another member of the Gee family, who is reported as the only survivor of the massacre, was airlifted to a Peoria hospital for treatment of unspecified wounds.

Nichols identified the deceased family members as Raymond Gee, Ruth Gee, Austin Gee, Justina Constant and Dillon Constant. The sheriff did not provide the ages of the victims or give information about the surviving family member.

Beason is about 10 miles east of Lincoln.

[cubby]

You're just not safe anywhere anymore. RIP family. Hope for the best with the survivor.

[dawnmpeters]

Sheriff Steve Nichols says the bodies of Raymond and Ruth Gee and a teenage daughter, a teenage son and another younger son were discovered Monday afternoon by deputies who had responded to a 911 call of a possible shooting

He says authorities found a survivor -- a 3-year-old girl -- but he didn't provide further details.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=323262&src=109

[AngelFire]

OMG who could do such a thing? I hope baby girl survives

[Awhell]

makes me wonder if it really is just one suspect...2 adults and 2 teenagers, as well as a third child. That seems like an awful lot of people to control at once, even with a gun. (not counting the three year old in the number of people that would have had to be controlled.)
Unless he grabbed the younger child or the survivor first.

No I haven't seen anything saying there was a gun, it just seems like a safe bet to control that many people, you would need a firearm.

[koochie]

yeah but what about that other story of the kid in the trailer that killed was it 8 adults alone? and no guns involved i thought

[dawnmpeters]

Nichols declined to say why his office didn't release information about the slayings until Tuesday morning. He said detectives were trying to identify possible suspects, and that those responsible for the killings should be considered "armed and dangerous."

The slayings, which Nichols described as a "brutal homicide against an entire family," occurred at the family's ranch-style home in Beason, a farming community of a few hundred residents about 140 miles southwest of Chicago.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...Bze0QD9ASK4VO3

those responsible- possibly meaning more than one killer?

[dawnmpeters]

The family was described as quiet and well-liked by townspeople and relatives.

"They were very quiet and very kind and never had a bad word to say about anybody," said Ruth Gee's mother, Francis Constant, who lives in nearby Lincoln.

Raymond Gee hustled for work in construction and as a handyman while his wife, a stay-at-home mom, helped out whenever she could, Constant said.

The couple faced their share of hardships, including having an 11-year-old daughter who suffered a brain injury so severe she has live at a special facility in Peoria. She said her son-in-law also had an adult daughter who did not live at the couple's home.

Robert Bagby, the superintendent of Lincoln Community High School, where Justine Constant was a sophomore, described her as "a very vibrant, likable young lady who had a lot of friends."

Bagby said counselors were at the school for students who needed them.

Two of the children killed, Justina and Austin, attended an area Bible club this summer, said Jordan Peck, who led the club. Both children were attentive and polite, and Justina had become a born-again Christian recently.

Postmaster Jodie Duncan's said the children were never a problem when they waited each morning for the bus.

"They were great kids," she said. "Austin was in the post office every morning in the lobby on the floor doing his homework. He'd say he's more awake in the morning."

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/beason....2.1200229.html

[Silvahalo]

What happened? I sure would like to know, though these stories of families slaughtered just kills me. Rest in peace family Gee and little one, I can't imagine what you must have saw those last moments.......

[Chaindrive]

My guess? Stupid as it may sound and fueled by Tequila is...Dad did it.

Just my guess, got nothing to back it up except my gut.

If it turns out it wasn't him, I will happily apologize.

[dawnmpeters]

Harris said a neighborhood boy was the first to find the family dead. He had come from school Monday and knocked on the Gees' door. The door opened, Harris said, and the boy saw "a lot of blood" and quickly ran to alert family members. Nicole Gee and another relative arrived next on the scene and called police.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,1404949.story

[dawnmpeters]

LINCOLN, Ill. - A pastor in Lincoln says he has established a charitable fund for the family of five people who were murdered at their home in the nearby farming village of Beason.

The Rev. Dayle Badman said Tuesday a fund has been set up to offset any expenses the family has stemming from the Monday murders.

Logan County Sheriff Steven Nichols identified the victims Tuesday as 46-year-old Raymond "Rick" Gee, 39-year-old Ruth Gee, 16-year-old Justina Constant, 14-year-old Dillen Constant and 11-year-old Austin Gee.

A 3-year-old girl survived the attack on her parents and siblings and was taken to a hospital in Peoria. Her grandmother has identified her as the couple's youngest daughter, Tabitha Gee.

Badman said checks may be sent to: the First United Methodist Church of Lincoln, 302 Broadway, Lincoln, IL 62656.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,6568743.story

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Evidence cones setup in the driveway of the home:

[...]
Residents in the tiny eastern Logan County community of Beason -- with a population around 150 -- were not alone in their concerns Tuesday as police used dogs, horses and planes to search the area and news media descended on the town.

Yet some residents expressed concern about the lack of official information available from authorities, who initially responded to reports of shots fired at the Gee family's ranch-style home around 4 p.m. Monday.

Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said residents in and around Beason should lock their doors.

And mourning for Rick and Ruth Gee and the three children had already begun in town before police confirmed their identities.

"Mainly, everyone is in shock," said Emil Walker, a neighbor of the Gees.

Police released no information as of Tuesday night about possible suspects other than that the person is believed to be armed and dangerous.
[...]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/artic...cc4c002e0.html

It does not sound like a murder/suicide. Surely LE would not be telling people an "armed and dangerous" person is on the loose.

There was a prayer service at the church... the only church in the small town. When shit like this happens in such a tiny area, I imagine it is very scary for residents. People really do "know everyone" in town and can't imagine anyone doing such a thing.

[dawnmpeters]

BEASON -- Dozens of volunteer searchers were set for another long day of work in Beason on Wednesday, with police reportedly looking for specific items in their investigation into the deaths of five family members.

Officials were putting together a team of about 60 volunteers to expand the ground search deeper into a bean field near the home where the bodies were found, said Curt Hawk, McLean County Emergency Management Agency director. McLean County personnel joined others from across the state - as far away as Will County - in assisting efforts in the small Logan County town.

On Tuesday, police canine and equestrian units joined a ground search of the soybean fields just north of the home and on the south edge of the town along Broadway Street. The Logan County canine unit spent more than an hour walking the boundaries of the family's property before focusing on the field adjacent to the home.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c03286.html

I don't think it is a murder-suicide as they are looking for a killer.

[dawnmpeters]

(Beason) -- Relatives of a slain family are in protective custody in the wake of Monday's mass murder in the Central Illinois farm town of Beason.
A manhunt continued Tuesday for the killer of Rick and Ruth Gee and their three children.
Authorities have not released any information about a possible suspect, leading to widespread speculation about a motive.
Beason is an unincorporated town in Logan County about 40 miles northeast of Springfield.
Rick Gee had a construction contracting business and his wife was a stay-at-home mother.

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/...xt/?cid=107911

[MadeaBecBec]

The five family members killed in downstate Beason on Monday were not shot, but that's all investigators are saying about the causes of death.

The Sheriff did tell reporters he needs the public's help solving this case and is looking for anyone with information on a suspicious vehicle seen in the town late Sunday and early Monday, around midnight.

The vehicle is a gray Ford Ranger with distinctive chrome exhaust pipes that jut out from the rear of the cab.

Nichols said a resident noticed the unfamiliar vehicle in the small town.

Nichols denied published reports that other members of the Gee family are in protective custody.

He said a 3-year-old girl who survived the attack is in stable condition at a Peoria hospital and there is a guard stationed in her room, but other relatives are not considered in danger.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chica...009m9d23-xxxxx
Wow! No explanation from authorities about why they responded to shots fired, and victims weren't shot...

Volunteers from the community worked with police in the vast farm fields today looking for evidence that can lead to a killer. It was the second full day of an investigation that now includes the FBI in addition to local law enforcement agencies.

During a news conference today, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols asked people in the region to be on the lookout for a pickup truck, possibly a Chevy S10 or Ford Ranger with gray primer paint and chrome exhaust pipes on the bed of the truck.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chica...son-video-link

Sounds like a truck that would stand out, just about anywhere....

[Dakota Valkyrie]

In his statement later Wednesday, Nichols tried to explain why authorities did not alert the public to the deaths as homicides - and that a suspect was still on the loose - until the day after the bodies were found.

"We had to look at the possibility of a murder-suicide," he said. "With the number of victims and size of the crime scene, the necessary evidence that determined this to be a homicide was not available until (Tuesday morning).

"That information was released at (Tuesday's) press conference," he said.

Nichols also said that none of the Gees' other relatives are in protective custody. The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday that some relatives had been taken into protective custody.
[...]

Meanwhile, the FBI has joined the investigation and is at a command center in Lincoln, Hawk said.

Police first responded to the home at 1571 2150th Ave. (Broadway) around 4:30 p.m. Monday. The children and Rick Gee were reportedly last seen Sunday night, and the children were absent from school Monday.
[...]


The next press conference is set for 4 p.m. Thursday, officials said.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c03286.html

The local newspaper has a page with full coverage. It looks like this is the source that most other articles are based on.
http://www.pantagraph.com/special-se...ason-slayings/

[MadeaBecBec]

Justina Constant, Austin Gee

Haven't been able to find photos of the other three victims.



Rest in Peace Gee and Constant family! I'll pray for your loved ones!

[Pene784]

What is going on with all of the mass family murders going on lately?! It seems like every few days for the last couple of months we hear about another one!

[dawnmpeters]

Meanwhile, authorities are looking for a sharp-edged tool and/or a cylinder-shaped object in connection with the slaying of five family members in Beason, The Pantagraph learned earlier Thursday.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c03286.html

[dawnmpeters]

Five family members found dead in their Beason, Illinois, home were beaten to death, police said Thursday.

A pathologist determined that the five — Raymond Gee, 46; Ruth Gee, 39; and three children — died from blunt-force trauma, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols told reporters. “All the injuries at the scene were from blunt-force trauma.”

The three children were identified as Justina Constant, 16, Dillen Constant, 14; and Austin Gee, 11.

A 3-year-old girl remained in critical but stable condition Thursday at a hospital, Nichols said. He said he would not divulge or speculate what the family was beaten with, and remained tight-lipped about many aspects of the deaths, including when authorities believe they occurred.

A task force has been formed with officers from several different agencies to investigate the homicides, the sheriff said. Processing of the crime scene concluded Wednesday afternoon, and “hundreds of seized items” are being processed, he said. “Forensic evidence in this case is significant.”

The sheriff has said authorities received a 911 call about a possible shooting at the home shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday.

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/

[Chaindrive]

Blunt force trauma, huh?

I wonder why a shooting was reported originally?

[dawnmpeters]

maybe someone in the family was shooting at the killer trying to protect themselves before they died?

[Chaindrive]

Could be.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The stepfather of Rick Gee said Thursday that he is the one who found the family's bodies Monday afternoon. "It is burned in the back of my eyeballs," he told The Pantagraph.
[...]

Koehler was with a young relative Monday afternoon when he went to pick up Dillen at the home and found the bodies, according to Marjorie Wright, a family friend who was told the information by someone close to the family.

"The original 911 caller stated that the victims had been shot, and may have assumed so," Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols said in a statement Wednesday. "The evidence at the scene and the autopsies have now confirmed that none of the victims were shot."
[...]

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local...cc4c03286.html

[dawnmpeters]

He also further described a pickup truck reportedly seen in the vicinity before midnight Sunday. The small truck, perhaps a Ford Ranger or Chevrolet S-10, has exhaust pipes protruding vertically from the back of the truck bed, between the wheel wells and the tailgate.

The truck was described as painted primer gray. Nichols emphasized that the color of the truck was not a "factory paint job."

Because of the unusual position of the tailpipes, Nichols said anyone who sees any vehicle with those kinds of exhaust pipes should call the hot line.

Being more specific than he had been in past days, the sheriff said the family's dog has been turned over to the local humane society. In response to a question about whether the dog barked during the attack, Nichols said the dog was in the backyard while officers processed the crime scene and was "quiet."

http://www.herald-review.com/news/lo...bff5ae294.html

[dawnmpeters]

.Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children, all of whom were killed in their home in Beason this week, will be buried Monday near Chestnut

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the Family Life Center, 114 N. Lafayette St. in Mount Pulaski. Services will follow at the center.

Burial will be in the Leanna Cemetery in rural Chestnut. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski

*Raymond “Rick” Gee, 46, who was born in Decatur, was described as “a gentle, giving, generous and extremely loyal person.”

*Ruth Constant Gee, 39, born in Lincoln, “was a devoted mother to her children. She loved and cared for people,” the announcement said.

*Justina Constant, 16, “was happy, upbeat and always willing to give a hand.”

*Dillen Constant, 14, “loved to play sports and was a fast runner. Dillen will be remembered for his bright smile and for his love of hip-hop music.”

*Austin Gee, 11, was “shy, very caring and sensitive to others’ needs.”

http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x593054...ily-set-Monday

[Jaded]

Front paged...

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2009/09/...aten-to-death/