Retiring chief defends police department’s handling of murder investigation

ROCK FALLS, Ill. – Less than one month before retiring from the Rock Falls Police Department, Chief David Pilgrim wants to set the record straight on an investigation resulting in the dismissal of first-degree murder earlier this year.

Pilgrim has been with the Rock Falls Police Department since 2001. He was appointed Chief in early 2021, according to the city.

Before his appointment as Chief of Police, Pilgrim served as the Administrative Commander. He has served in nearly every position at the department throughout his career including Patrol Officer, Detective, Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, and firearms instructor, according to the city.

On Aug. 21, Pilgrim says he sent a letter to City Administrator Robbin Blackert providing formal notification he will be retiring at the end of September. The letter was then forwarded to city council last week.

“I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had during my time with the City of Rock Falls and proud of the things I have accomplished,” Pilgrim wrote. “I especially appreciate the trust and support of the City Administrator, elected officials, and fellow department heads.”

Pilgrim added, “I am committed to ensuring a smooth transition and am happy to assist with training my replacement or completing any outstanding tasks.”

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Pilgrim fought through emotions as he formally announced his retirement in public.

Pilgrim’s retirement announcement comes just two months after local resident Dan Gordon called on the chief to resign because of the police department’s handling of the investigation into his son’s murder, of which resulted in the dismissal of first-degree murder and aggravated battery charges.

Although he acknowledges the timing is unfortunate, Pilgrim maintains he has been ‘contemplating’ retirement from the department for, ‘over a year.’

“My decision to retire has nothing to do with the Gordon case,” Pilgrim said. “I wasn’t asked to retire. I wasn’t encouraged. I wasn’t forced.” Adding, “I’m at a point in my life in my career where it makes sense to start a second pension and so I was looking for opportunities to do so.”

In May, Kyle Cooper, 36, of Rock Falls, was set to stand trial on First Degree Murder for fatally stabbing Gordon’s son DJ in February. If convicted, he would have faced at least 60 years to life in prison, court records show.

As both parties were preparing for a jury trial set for mid-May, Cooper’s defense attorney James Mertes filed a barrage of motions in limine, which are generally used to get a ruling on whether or not specific evidence or arguments can be presented at trial, court records show.

Among numerous filings during this period, two motions in limine filed by Mertes on May 2 stood out the most:

• DESTRUCTION/SPOLIATION OF EVIDENCE
• LEAD HOMICIDE INVESTIGATOR NOT CERTIFIED AS REQUIRED BY LAW

According to the motion in limine listed under Destruction/Spoliation of Evidence, the defense accused police of allowing ‘crucial evidence to be destroyed.’

The defense argued the white Chevrolet Blazer that Gordon’s son was riding in was ‘clearly involved in the incident’ citing the fact the stabbing was ‘immediately’ next to the Blazer, court records show.

Police reports show the altercation between Cooper and Gordon, including the stabbing, occurred on the passenger side of the vehicle where investigators noted they observed a pool of blood on the ground.

The defense claimed, ‘The presence or absence of weapons, contraband and the presence or absence of identifying substances such as fingerprints and DNA inside the Blazer were extraordinarily important to the investigation.’

Furthermore, the defense argued, “Law enforcement inexplicably failed to preserve [the Blazer] but instead allowed its evidentiary significance to be destroyed, thereby depriving [Cooper] of potentially exculpatory evidence and directly resulting in the spoliation of evidence.”

Pilgrim pushes back on the assertion the vehicle was important to the investigation.

“There was nothing that obviously said we need to examine this vehicle,” Pilgrim said. “There was no eyewitness testimony that said that anything had occurred in or on this vehicle, there was nothing found outside the vehicle that would lead us to believe that something came from inside the vehicle and was brought into the crime scene.”

Testimony revealed the owner of the Blazer was allowed to access the vehicle while the crime scene was still active.

“She was escorted to the vehicle on the driver’s side to retrieve her keys,” Pilgrim said. “She never went into the crime scene. The crime scene was contained and observed and integrity of it was kept.”

Furthermore, the defense told the court Rock Falls Detective Autumn Day was, ‘not certified to act as a lead homicide/death investigator as required by law,’ from the moment of the stabbing until Feb. 28. 

During this period, the defense said Day had not successfully completed an approved training program of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board in death and homicide investigations. 

The defense pointed to Section 10.11 of the Illinois Police Training Act which includes a mandatory provision for lead investigators in death and homicide investigations.

Pilgrim asserts he, and the department, were fully aware Detective Day was not certified when they responded to the crime scene and began their investigation.

“She was called in to assist with the investigation, as was I, as was the deputy chief, and we also had other agencies assisting us,” Pilgrim said. “But it was made very clear that she is not the lead investigator, that she needs to be supervised and directed by either the deputy chief or the detective sergeant who are both state homicide-certified.”

Pilgrim provided me with the dates of certification, to be renewed every four years, for the two investigators who helped lead the initial homicide investigation.

Detective Sergeant Vondra
April 5, 2019, renewed April 5, 2023.

Deputy Chief Wolber
March 26, 2021, renewed March 26, 2025.

Pilgrim says Detective Day renewed her certification on Feb. 28 before becoming the lead homicide investigator in Gordon’s case.

“We were very, very conscious of her not having been to the training and what the requirement was,” Pilgrim said.

Later that month, both parties agreed to a plea deal involving the dismissal of all the original charges but adding Second Degree Murder, court records show.

The deal was reached after multiple officers took to the stand to testify under oath describing their actions in and around the crime scene, court records show.

Cooper pled guilty to the reduced charge and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2035, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Despite a disheartening outcome, Pilgrim stands by the investigation and still believes they would have, ‘prevailed with a first-degree murder conviction.’

“We were prepared to go to trial,” Pilgrim said. “We were prepared to go and testify. We were prepared to answer those questions raised by the defense as to why something was or wasn’t done.”

Although he remains steadfast in his confidence the department conducted a thorough investigation, and rejects the notion that any of their actions were what led to reduced charges, Pilgrim sympathizes with the Gordon family.

“I will never discount their feelings on that or believe that their feelings are improper,” Pilgrim said. “I’m terribly sorry that this incident happened … I can’t imagine the pain that something like this inflicts on a family.”

Pilgrim added, “From all accounts. [DJ] was a well-liked young man. I never had a chance to meet him personally that I know of, but I may have maybe crossed paths with him, being that he threw darts and went to play golf. And those are two things that I also do occasionally.”

Rock Falls Mayor Rodney Kleckler says the city will seek candidates both from within the department as well as from the outside. He said he wishes to hire someone from the local area, but did not give a timetable.

Pilgrim has not yet announced what his next opportunity will be, but did cite spending more time with family as a primary driver behind retiring from his current position.

This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

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