Man wanted for Tennessee murder of his girlfriend captured in Galesburg

GALESBURG — A suspect wanted for murder in Tennessee was captured in Galesburg on July 21.

Officers were called to the Rescue Mission, 435 E. Third St., by an employee regarding a man who had been staying there for two weeks who was asked to leave due to suspected drug use. He was known to be from Tennessee due to giving the Rescue Mission a Tennessee identification card and driving a vehicle with Tennessee license plates.

The employee explained that that day he had returned to the mission and was making threats to “burn down meth houses in the neighborhood.”

Officers searched the man’s information and learned that the man, Christopher S. Falls, 41, was wanted for second degree murder in Morgan County, Tennessee.

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The body of Julia Manning, 50, was found in a home in the 100 block of Shady Grove Road in Lancing, Tennessee, on July 7 following a well-being check due to the woman not being seen for over 10 days. An autopsy ruled her death as a homicide. Falls, Manning’s live-in boyfriend, was last seen leaving the scene in Manning’s red, 2005 Subaru Forrester, the vehicle which Falls was driving in Galesburg.

Falls was charged with second-degree murder in Manning’s death, and was added to the Tennessse Most Wanted list with a $2,500 reward.

Galesburg police located the vehicle at 780 S. Chambers St. and made contact with the residence and explained they were looking for the driver of the vehicle. The resident said that he believed that Falls had left but he would go inside and check.

A few minutes later, Falls exited the residence and was placed under arrest without incident and transported to the Knox County jail.