Happy New Year: Take a look back at the top stories of 2025 in the QCA

Posted on by Kyle J. Bales

Top 10 Most Viewed

Year in Review

January 5
Rock Island, Ill.

(KWQC TV, Gray Television)

Man dies in officer-involved shooting

On the afternoon of Jan. 5, 2025, Jakarta Jackson, 21, was shot and killed by Rock Island Police Officer Brett Taylor in the area of 12th Street and 34th Avenue in Rock Island.

The following month, the Rock Island County State’s Attorney ruled Taylor’s use of deadly force was justified. Read the full report here.

In June, Jackson’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Rock Island, Chief Tim McCloud and Officer Taylor.

January 16
Mt. Carroll, Ill.

(KWQC TV, Gray Television)

Jackson Kradle’s death ruled a Homicide

After a community desperately waited for months to get real answers in the death of Jackson Kradle, a two-day Coroner’s Inquest, held Jan. 14 and 16 at the Carroll County Courthouse in Mt. Carroll, uncovered bombshell evidence and witness testimony.

The Coroner’s Jury ruled Kradle’s death was a homicide, finding the driver, identified as now-former Carroll County deputy Matt Herpstreith, was negligent when he ran into and over Kradle with his truck. Read more here.

March 24
Savanna, Ill.

Matthew Herpstreith mugshot (Illinois State Police)

Fmr. deputy charged in death of Jackson Kradle

Herpstreith is charged with Reckless Homicide, a Class 3 Felony, for allegedly drinking alcohol since the late afternoon the prior day, and was ‘otherwise distracted and tired’ when he drove his truck into and over Kradle.

Herpstreith is also charged with Attempting to Obstruct Justice, a Class A Misdemeanor, after police say he is the man seen on video at a Savanna car wash less than 30 minutes after leaving the scene ‘to wash away bodily tissue and fluids and destroy evidence’ of his truck running over Kradle.

In April, Herpstreith pled Not Guilty. He is set to return to court Feb. 20, 2026, for a pretrial conference.

Read more here.

June 26
Savanna, Ill.

Videos show the truck slamming into two homes and backing into a squad car on Chicago Avenue in Savanna. (Trinity Solomon, Rob Smithburg)

High-speed chase ends with gunfire in Savanna

Mark Feltmeyer, 59, of Freeport, was shot by officers in Savanna after leading them on a multi-county pursuit.

A couple days before the pursuit-turned-shooting, Feltmeyer appeared in court for a hearing on a new theft charge where a judge granted him pretrial release.

Feltmeyer is accused of stealing a pickup truck from Freeport-based construction business Helm Group in May, which matches the description of the truck in the June 25-26 pursuit.

On June 25, shortly after 10 p.m., officers located the truck in Freeport and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver got away after nearly striking a squad car and another passing vehicle.

At around 3:45 a.m., the truck is seen on video slamming into two homes and backing into a squad car on Chicago Ave. in Savanna when gunfire suddenly erupts and officers request an ambulance on a rush.

Feltmeyer was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries before being placed back into custody.

Carroll County dispatch audio capturing final moments of pursuit with shots fired. (Broadcastify)

July 28
Savanna, Ill.

‘Not on my watch’

Carroll County Coroner Matthew Jones, who led the coroner’s inquest into the death of Jackson Kradle, says he believes criminal charges may have never been filed without the inquest.

This summer I was granted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Jones, where he gives his full perspective on why he took the gamble to hold an inquest before criminal charges were filed, and why he believes all coroners have a ‘role to play’ when investigating suspicious deaths that appear to be on a path of being unresolved.

August 6
Savanna, Ill.

State agency affirms paramedic violations

A letter sent from the Illinois Department of Public Health says a local EMS system identified violations in connection to an off-duty paramedic on the day Jackson Kradle was killed.

The letter, dated Nov. 26, 2024, was written in response to a formal complaint lodged against Savanna Community Ambulance Association Paramedic Amy Hubble for an incident occurring on July 28, 2024.

The letter concludes with the following:

“Due to the seriousness of the allegations, as well as information provided by the individual alleged in wrongdoing, the local EMS System was able to identify violation of their System policies. The System has taken action to ensure the safety of all individuals pending the outcome of the Law Enforcement Investigation. Action by EMS System has been affirmed by the Department.”

Hubble is also named in a sweeping wrongful death lawsuit filed in July by Kradle’s family.

The lawsuit alleges Hubble was intoxicated and not qualified to render a determination of Kradle’s medical status. Read more here.

August 14
Moline, Ill.

Arrest made in the presumed murder of Trudy Appleby

On Aug. 21, 1996, Appleby was 11 years old when she was last seen near her Moline home where witnesses saw her getting into the passenger side of an older model, gray vehicle driven by an unidentified man.

Police say Appleby had asked to go swimming that day on Campbell’s Island but her father had told her no.

Phone records ‘indicate’ Appleby went ahead with those plans but vanished and is still missing.

Jamison A. Fisher, 50, was indicted by a Grand Jury in Henry County, Illinois for the murder of Appleby.

September 3
Rock Falls, Ill.

Retiring chief defends police department’s handling of murder investigation

Less than one month before retiring from the Rock Falls Police Department, Chief David Pilgrim wanted to set the record straight on a homicide investigation that resulted in the dismissal of First Degree Murder.

Pilgrim’s retirement announcement came 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.

Read more here.

September 10
Orem, Utah.

Utah County dispatch audio from around 12:26 p.m. to around 1:10 p.m. MT (Broadcastify)

Influential political, Christian activist Charlie Kirk shot dead

Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed at a open dialogue event in Utah in an apparent political assassination.

It happened around 12:23 p.m. on the campus of Utah Valley University located in Orem, Utah where Kirk was hosting hundreds of students for a scheduled event on his The American Comeback Tour, organized by the Kirk-founded conservative activist group Turning Point USA.

Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

Several videos online showed Kirk suffered a severe gunshot wound to the neck before being carried to a nearby vehicle by security and staff.

That afternoon, both President Trump and Turning Point USA released a statement confirming Kirk’s death.

On Oct. 14, President Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

September 15
Galesburg, Ill.

New cause of death sealed for man found dead in Galesburg

Tyler Smith, 23, was reported missing in Galesburg on the morning of Sep. 15, 2018, after he failed to arrive at his friend’s house the night prior, following an evening of drinking at nearby bars.

Later that day, a passerby discovered Tyler’s body less than a half-mile from where he was last seen with friends.

Investigators with the Galesburg Police Department quickly ruled Tyler’s death an accidental drowning due to him being face down in water.

The first autopsy affirmed the original assessment by investigators: Drowning.

However, a second autopsy, completed two years later, uncovered a new cause of death, but remains sealed from the public due to ongoing investigation now led by Illinois State Police.

Read more here.

October 9
Morrison, Ill.

*LANGUAGE ALERT* Key parts of the video capturing the Aug. 29 incident (Morrison resident)

Morrison chief responds to video of officer’s misconduct

Morrison Police Chief Michael Moon issued a statement regarding an interaction caught on camera between an officer and a suspect.

The majority of the interaction was captured on video by a neighbor of where the incident occurred in the 500 block of N Base Street in Morrison.

In the video, the officer is repeatedly heard using derogatory language toward a suspect who they were trying to remove from the property.

Read more here.

Full video below.

Full video from around 9:37 p.m. to 9:57 p.m. Aug. 29 (Morrison resident)

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