Inset: Jeremiah Duncan (Peoria County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Authorities documented the scene where Duncan allegedly murdered his two‑year‑old son and the boy’s mother (WEEK).
A 24‑year‑old Illinois man stands accused of killing his two‑year‑old son and the child’s mother, having shot the woman before abandoning the toddler in a burning vehicle.
Police placed Jeremiah Duncan in custody and filed a single count of first‑degree murder for the death of 20‑year‑old Heaven J. Wood. As of Tuesday morning, prosecutors had not filed charges concerning the toddler, KJ Duncan‑Wood.
According to multiple press releases issued by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at approximately 6:09 a.m. on Friday to reports of a vehicle fire on the 3500 block of Yorkshire. The initial call originated from the 3500 Abby Circle area, one block away.
First‑responders arrived to find a vehicle engulfed in flames and traced the fire to a residence on Yorkshire. Deputies then entered the home to conduct a welfare check.
Inside the residence, officers discovered Wood with a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported her to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Two additional children were found unharmed within the house.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle had been driven from the area of the shooting before crashing,” the sheriff’s office stated. “After extinguishing the flames, first responders located a deceased infant inside the vehicle. Investigators determined the infant was the child of the female found deceased in the residence.”
Authorities have not immediately disclosed how the vehicle fire originated or whether it was intentionally set.
An autopsy performed by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office determined that KJ suffered severe smoke inhalation. Coroner Jamie Harwood told local NBC affiliate WEEK that the boy “likely passed away moments after the fire was started.”
Investigators identified Duncan as a suspect and began a manhunt. The sheriff’s office warned that he might be on foot and instructed anyone who sighted him to refrain from approaching and to call 911 immediately.
At approximately 12:05 p.m. on Friday, officers located Duncan near Molleck Drive and Oak Crest Drive and placed him under arrest. He was carrying a knife at the time of his capture, according to Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins, who also confirmed to WEEK that Duncan is KJ’s father.
Duncan sustained “serious burns” in the fire and is receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility while in police custody.
The sheriff classified the deaths of Wood and KJ as the result of domestic violence, describing the incident as “a very tragic day in our community.”
Because of his injuries, Duncan was unable to appear for his detention hearing. A judge has scheduled his next court appearance for October 5, according to WEEK.
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