SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A 17-year-old girl has been charged as an adult with in connection to a homicide in Springfield last month.
Members of the Springfield Police Department and U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force arrested Andrea Oliver without incident on Thursday, serving an arrest warrant the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office had previously issued. She was arraigned in court the following day and remains in custody at the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention center on a $1.5 million bond.
Oliver was charged with four counts of First Degree Murder, Vehicular Invasion and Domestic Aggravated Battery in connection to the stabbing death of 26-year-old Thomas Shepard of Springfield. Shepard was found stabbed in the 1500 block of East Cook Street on June 23 and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the emergency room of St. John’s Hospital. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon confirmed Shepard died from multiple stab wounds.
If convicted of First Degree Murder, Oliver faces between 20 and 60 years in prison.
“The State’s Attorney’s Office is grateful to our law enforcement partners with the Springfield Police Department and U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force for their work in bringing the suspect into custody without incident,” said Mary Beth Rodgers, Chief of the Felony Division for the State’s Attorney’s Office. “The prompt and thorough investigation of this matter allowed our office to file charges and seek justice in this case.”
The State’s Attorney’s Office also asked anyone with additional information about Shepard’s death to call the Springfield Police Department at 217-788-8311 or the Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 217-788-8427.