Inset: Jeremiah Duncan (Peoria County Sheriff's Office). Background: Authorities at the scene where Duncan allegedly killed his 2-year-old son and the boy's mother (WEEK).
A 24-year-old man in Illinois is accused of killing his 2-year-old son and the boy's mother, shooting the woman before leaving the toddler to die inside a burning car.
Jeremiah Duncan was taken into custody and charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of 20-year-old Heaven J. Wood. Charges had not been filed in connection with the death of the toddler, KJ Duncan-Wood, as of Tuesday morning.
According to a series of press releases from the Peoria County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded around 6:09 a.m. Friday to the 3500 block of Yorkshire after reports of a vehicle fire. The call initially came from the area of 3500 Abby Circle, one block away.
Arriving first responders found a vehicle engulfed in flames and traced it to a nearby home on Yorkshire. Deputies then went to the home for a welfare check.
Inside, they found Wood with a gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel transported her to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Two other children were found unharmed inside the residence.
"The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle had been driven from the area of the shooting before crashing," the sheriff's office wrote. "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 did not immediately say how the vehicle fire started or whether it was set intentionally.
An autopsy conducted by the Peoria County Coroner's Office concluded 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 searching for him. The sheriff's office warned that he might be on foot and urged anyone who spotted him to "not approach him" and to call 911 immediately.
At about 12:05 p.m. Friday, officers and deputies found Duncan near Molleck Drive and Oak Crest Drive, where they took him into custody. He was armed with a knife when police found him, Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said. The sheriff also confirmed to WEEK on Monday that Duncan was KJ's father.
Duncan also suffered "serious burns" in the fire. He was being treated at an undisclosed medical facility while in police custody.
The sheriff said the deaths of Wood and KJ stemmed from domestic violence, calling the day of the killings a "very tragic day in our community."
Because of his injuries, Duncan could not appear in court for his detention hearing. A judge scheduled his next appearance for Oct. 5, according to WEEK.