Nicholas T. Sheley is suspected of engaging in a murderous two-state crime rampage that left eight people dead including two in Festus.

Jefferson County prosecutors announced first-degree murder charges Thursday against Nicholas T. Sheley, who is suspected of engaging in a murderous two-state crime rampage that left eight people dead including two in Festus.Sheley is alleged to have killed an Arkansas couple, Tom and Jill Estes, at the Comfort Inn near Interstate 55, June 30.He was apprehended without incident in a Granite City bar July 1.Sheley is incarcerated in Illinois where prosecutors in several jurisdictions have also filed murder charges against him.Along with two charges of first-degree murder, Sheley, 28, of Sterling, Ill., is facing two charges of armed criminal action
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Forrest Wegge said no decision has been made on whether to seek the death penalty. That could change soon."It’s on the table and, quite frankly, it’s at the center of the table," Wegge said.When Sheley will appear in Jefferson County to face these charges is an open question.
Wegge met with other prosecutors this week to help coordinate the efforts between various agencies involved in the case.They expect to consult again shortly.
Several factors could influence how soon Sheley appears in a Jefferson County courtroom."It may be in chronological order," Wegge said. "The status of the death penalty in Illinois may have an impact."Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis said local police have yet to speak with Sheley.Wegge said the decision to charge him with murder was made following an evaluation of surveillance tapes and physical evidence.
Police say they believe Sheley "ambushed" the couple on the parking lot and then transported their bodies by truck to a trash container behind a local service station, leaving a trail of blood more than one mile long."If it hadn’t rained you could still follow it," Lewis said.Police say there is still no indication of motive in the killings.Authorities said the Arkansas couple died from blunt force trauma.Lewis said police had generated so many leads that the Major Case Squad may be reactivated in order to gather and analyze more evidence."It’s still an evolving case," he saidLewis said the murders were the first "random killings" he had seen in more than two decades with the Festus Police.No bond has been set for Sheley