Murder suspect found unfit for trial ‘at this time’
By BRADLEY ZIMMERMAN
WCIA Channel 3 News
WATSEKA — A Milford man accused of murder has been found, at least for now, to be mentally unfit to stand trial.
Nicholas Gregory, 38, is charged with two counts of murder in connection with a deadly shooting near the village of Iroquois three months ago. During his first appearance in court, his appointed public defender asked for a fitness exam to be performed, and prosecutors did not object.
Public court records show that on Wednesday, Aug. 20, Gregory appeared in court via Zoom while his counsel appeared in person. From the completed evaluation, a judge found that Gregory was unfit to stand trial, but the record was worded to indicate that this may be temporary.
Another review of Gregory’s fitness was scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5.
Gregory is accused of fatally shooting 57-year-old Angela Taylor on the night of May 13 west of Iroquois. The Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office said Gregory parked his truck across the train tracks crossing County Road 2150 North, entered a nearby home and stole the homeowner’s car.
Deputies said he returned to the railroad crossing as Taylor was stopped there, unable to proceed because of the truck on the tracks.
“Gregory exited the stolen vehicle and approached Angela’s vehicle. As Angela exited her vehicle to see what Gregory was doing, he fired one round from his pistol, striking her,” the sheriff’s office said at the time. “Gregory fled the scene in the truck he parked on the railroad tracks.”
Taylor was taken to a hospital in Kankakee, where she was pronounced dead.
Gregory was later located in Jasper County in Indiana, and Iroquois County deputies said he led law enforcement there on a chase that ended in neighboring Newton County. Gregory was arrested and promptly extradited to Illinois.
Court records indicate that Gregory has been in the Iroquois County Jail in Watseka since his extradition and while his mental fitness evaluation was being performed. Now that he has been found unfit for trial, he will be transferred to a facility run by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Boy, 14, struck by Champaign cop car
RANTOUL — A 13-year-old boy was being treated for serious injuries at an area hospital on Tuesday, Aug. 19, after being struck in Rantoul by a Champaign police vehicle. In a news release, Rantoul police said they responded around 3:30 p.m. with Rantoul firefighters and Arrow Ambulance paramedics to the car-versus-pedestrian accident in the 200 block of East Champaign Avenue. A preliminary investigation indicated that the boy ran into the street from the parking lot of the Credit Union One, crossing both lanes of eastbound traffic, before colliding with the westbound police car, the news release said. The accident remained under investigation, and the names of those involved were being withheld.
No injuries in two-vehicle crash on I-57
PAXTON — Troop 5 Illinois State Police reponded around 4:54 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, to a two-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 57 near milepost 261 by Paxton in Ford County. “No injuries are being reported,” a news release said. “No further information is available at this time.”
State police to conduct special patrols
PONTIAC — Troop 5 Illinois State Police will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols in Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, and McLean counties during September, focusing on compliance with Illinois’ safety belt and child safety seat laws.
Watseka man, 30, arrested on warrant
WATSEKA — The Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office arrested Marcal Smith, 30, of Watseka, on an Iroquois County warrant for driving with a suspended driver’s license on Tuesday, Aug. 19, and he was transported to the Iroquois County Jail in Watseka and later released with a notice to appear in court.