Police reports uncover new details in ongoing Galesburg murder investigation

GALESBURG, Ill. – Police reports reveal new details of the scene where a Galesburg woman was allegedly murdered.

David L. Nicholson-Klingerman, 29, faces several felony charges including First Degree Murder, a Class M Felony. He is accused of fatally hitting an older woman in the back of her head with a hammer.

On Oct. 28, Knox County Coroner Jacque Dare identified the woman as Georgette Rodrigues, 67, of Galesburg.

According to Galesburg Police, at around 12:30 p.m. Oct. 26, officers responded to a home on N. Soangetaha Road for a well-being check. Upon arrival, officers found a woman alone outside the home with ‘blunt force trauma to her body.’

Police say Nicholson was arrested Oct. 27 after being considered a person of interest. He appeared in court Tuesday where a judge found probable cause to move forward with the case, court records show.

New details.

Police reports show an officer responded to a home on N. Soangetaha Road in Galesburg after dispatch reported a man called to ask for a welfare check on his son, who was later identified as the suspect.

Police reports show the caller told dispatch his son was heavily intoxicated when he spoke with him the previous night. Adding, his son was letting a ‘transient’ stay in the home and that someone may be hurt.

The caller did not say why he was concerned about someone being hurt other than advising his son has a history of bi-polar disorder, according to police reports.

When officers arrived at the home around 12:50 p.m., there was a green Honda SUV in the driveway registered to Nicholson out of Bloomington, police reports show.

Officers began searching the area around the home and looking into windows. Officers noted there was a dog inside the home and the home appeared unfurnished but they could see clothing and a ‘red smear’ on the floor, police reports show.

The officer knocked on the front door and side window multiple times but there was no response, police reports show.

On the backside of the home, officers found what appeared to be a body wrapped in a sheet with blood on it below the porch. Adding, blankets with what appeared to be blood on them were also found partially under the porch, police reports show.

After discovering the body, officers noticed a blood stain on the porch near the backdoor that ‘looked like a drag mark’ noting it may have occurred by dragging the body across the porch, police reports show.

Officers opened the unlocked backdoor and found blood and a pair of shoes near the door. The front door was also unlocked, police reports show.

Upon the arrival of backup, officers entered the home to clear it of any possible suspects or other victims, police reports show.

Officers could see blood on the kitchen floor, living room floor and upstairs staircase bannister. Adding, the blood on the floors looked ‘primarily like drag marks’ while the blood on the bannister appeared to be ‘splatter,’ police reports show.

While upstairs, officers found a ‘large’ spot of blood that looked to be ‘fairly fresh’ and soaking into the carpet at the top of the steps. In the room to the right of the stairs, officers found blankets and alcoholic containers ‘showing signs of a person recently being there,’ police reports show.

Officers found a hammer in a closet with what ‘appeared to be hair on top of the hammer,’ police reports show.

The vehicle registered to Nicholson in the driveway was locked. An officer noted they had performed a traffic stop on the vehicle shortly after 8:30 the previous night. Body cam footage from the stop showed Nicholson alone, police reports show.

After clearing the home, officers secured the scene until Illinois State Police arrived to process it, police reports show.

A neighbor told police she was awaken by a loud sound outside around 2 a.m. but did not know what it was other than it did not sound like a gunshot, police reports show.

Another neighbor told police a young man and his dog came to her door about a week prior wearing no shoes and ‘acting very strange.’ Adding, the young man told her he recently moved next door and wanted to introduce himself, police reports show.

The previous owner of the home confirmed to me Oct. 29 it is Nicholson who currently owns the home and that the sale closed earlier this month.

What’s next?

On Oct. 29, Nicholson appeared in court for a detention hearing where a judge denied pretrial release. Nicholson will remain in custody at the Knox County Jail.

NOV. 10 UPDATE: On Nov. 10, Nicholson appeared in court for a preliminary hearing where the case was continued to Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. for a pretrial conference. He remains in custody at the Knox County Jail.

Nicholson also has an open criminal case in McLean County, Illinois. He is charged with Criminal Damage to Property, a Class A Misdemeanor, Criminal Trespassing, a Class B Misdemeanor, and Assault, a Class C Misdemeanor, court records show.

Nicholson was granted pretrial release in McLean County on Oct. 9 with a pretrial conference set for Nov. 25.

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