Authorities have determined that the deaths of a man and a woman in separate Moline homes were both homicides and have linked the two to the same suspect. The suspect, identified as 55-year-old Chad Hillyer of Aledo, was later found dead in Iowa. According to a media release from Moline Police:Police were called to a home in the 3300 block of 25th Avenue at 9:41 a.m. following a report of an unspecified medical issue. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of 55-year-old Steven Herring, who had been fatally shot with a handgun. A shell casing was found in the home. Shortly after, police were called to a home in the 1800 block of 46th Street for a similar report, where they found the body of 79-year-old Donna Ericson, also shot with a handgun. A shell casing was discovered at this residence as well.Moline police enlisted the help of the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Police to process the crime scenes and conduct a thorough investigation. Detectives discovered that Hillyer was the son of Ericson and a close friend of Herring. They collected evidence including cell phone records and video footage, which revealed a white 2007 GMC truck owned by Hillyer near both homes on the day of the incidents.“Our thoughts are with the families impacted by this tragedy. This is an extremely large and complex case and we are grateful for the assistance and collaboration from several law enforcement partners,” Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said in the release.
