John O. Staley was a 63-year-old White man living in Decatur, Illinois. On July 8, 2024, officers with the Decatur Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 1300 block of N. Monroe Street after receiving a report of a battery. Inside the home, they discovered Mr. Staley, who was deceased.
A homicide investigation was launched immediately. A subsequent examination by the coroner determined that Mr. Staley's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Initial observations at the scene had also noted suspected bruising to his facial area and what appeared to be a separate gunshot wound to his lower body.
As the investigation progressed, detectives executed a search warrant at a nearby residence in the 1400 block of N. Monroe Street. The search and subsequent police work led to the arrest of a 14-year-old boy, who was charged with first-degree murder.
Authorities noted that the youth was already on aftercare, a form of parole, through the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. He was taken to the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center.
Following the initial arrest, the investigation continued, and authorities later arrested a second 14-year-old boy in connection with Mr. Staley's murder. Both teenagers face charges as the case proceeds through the juvenile justice system. The investigation remained active as of the last available update in July 2024.
