Pathologist says man was 'chopped and sliced' with a machete
MARION, Ill. - A suspect has been charged and is being held in Cape Girardeau currently in the case of a murder that was investigated as a 'suspicious death' over the weekend in the city of Marion, Illinois.
A press release submitted from the Marion PD explains that on January 19, 2019, the Marion Police Department responded to a report of a possible deceased person in the 200 block of E. Marion St.
Officers found Donald R. Schultz, 62 of Marion, deceased in his residence and observed visible injuries to Schultz. Illinois State Police Crime Scene was contacted to process the scene at that time and the Williamson County Major Case Squad was activated.
An autopsy was conducted on Monday, January 21, and the cause of death was ruled a homicide.
According to the Forensic Pathologist, Schultz died as a result of chopping and slicing to the head and body with a machete type weapon.
The investigation lead to arrest warrants for First Degree Murder being issued for Ernest Alex Pulliam, 33, of rural Williamson County, Illinois, and bond was set at $1,000,000.
Pulliam was located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, yesterday (Tuesday January 22, 2019) and taken into custody by Detectives from the Marion Police Department and Cape Girardeau Police Department.
Williamson County State’s Attorney Brandon Zanotti has charged Pulliam with three counts of First Degree Murder. Counts 1 and 2 deal with the intent to kill and knowing the act would cause death. The third count deals with the killing of a victim over the age of 60 during the commission of an Armed Robbery on or about the 15th of January, 2019.
Pulliam is being held at the Cape Girardeau County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Illinois.
The Marion Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Williamson County Major Case Squad, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services, Cape Girardeau Police Dept., Jackson, Mo Police Dept., and the Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office. This investigation was truly a team effort and our deepest thanks to these agencies.