Deputy Sheriff Sean Riley, 38, was killed on December 29, 2021, while on duty in Burnt Prairie, Illinois. Riley, who served with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, had responded to assist a motorist on Interstate 64 near mile marker 115 around 5:00 a.m. When another officer arrived, Riley was found with fatal gunshot wounds and his patrol car was missing; the vehicle was later recovered and the suspect had left the scene.

The man identified in reports as Ray Tate, 40, left the area and was later linked to a series of violent incidents across Missouri and Illinois, including carjackings, shootings, a kidnapping and a home invasion. State police tactical units took him into custody without further incident. Riley’s family and colleagues remembered him as a dedicated and compassionate officer.

If anyone has information about that early-morning call or the locations along Interstate 64 near mile marker 115, please share what you know.