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By NICK MARIANO Staff WriterodA gray Ford Mustang pulled into the Saline County Jail parking lot Monday afternoon, and right behind it was a county squad car with a fugitive suspected of killing a Carrier Mills man last month inside of it.According to Saline County Sheriff George Henley, 19-year-old Joe W. Jordan, formerly of Golcon-da, had been a suspect for several weeks, but the sheriff’s department along with the Illinois Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) kept the information confidential until they had the suspect in custody.Jordan has not yet been charged with homicide, but he was arrested on charges of theft by possession of the Ford Mustang belonging to the murder victim, theft of weapons police believe were used to kill thevictim and residential burglary ofthe victim’s home at 305 Smith Road in Carrier Mills.State’s Attorney Rod Wolf is expected to make and announce his decision on Filing homicide charges against Jordan this morning after he meets with officers of both law enforcement agencies.Ralph Thompson, who would have turned 55 Aug. 20, was shot three times and killed Aug. 11 at his home. His body was found covered in a quilt outside his home two days later by a neighbor passing the residence.Police say the car has been identified as Thompson’s car with thevehicle identification number (VIN). Harrisburg Police had pulled Jordan over the night of the murder and had taken down the VIN. Whenreports of the killing and the stolencar were made public, passengers in the car that night came forward to police and identified Jordan as the driver that Tuesday night.Also, police retrieved the alleged murder weapons in Sikeston, Mo., the same state Jordan was believed to have been staying in with Gary Gene Reed at Reed’s grandmother’s East Prairie home. Reed was arrested on a charge of theft by possession Aug. 17 when he turned himself over to Missouri authorities after learning a warrant had been issued for his arrest.Henley, with three other county officers, at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday with Jordan in handcuffs. They picked him up in Battle Mountain,Nev., on Saturday, Aug. 29.“I’m pleased we got him. I’m pleased we got the car. Now, we can get it through the court system,” Henley said after his return from the six-day trip.Jordan was arrested Aug. 21 by Nevada authorities. Before leaving for the desert state, the sheriffs department had to wait for Jordan to sign a waiver of extradition.He is confined at the White County jail pending $2,700 bond.WELCOME BACK — Returned from Nevada, murder suspect Joe W. Jordan, center, is escorted Monday by Saline County Sheriff George Henley, right, and deputy William Summers to the county jail for booking. He was arrested for theft and burglary. (Nick Marianophoto)
Newspaper Details
Harrisburg Daily Register
Harrisburg, Illinois, US
Tue, Sep 01, 1992
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kat G.
NA, NA 20 Jan 2023
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Harrisburg Saline County Register
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