Disclaimer: The article has details of killing and violence.
John Finney, a 52-year-old man from Illinois, is now being called the ‘horrid husband’ after charges of homicide. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office from the area received a frantic call alerting authorities of a possible homicide, along with a description of Finney’s car, as he attempted to escape after murdering his wife and keeping her lifeless body in the vehicle.
A RadarOnline report states that law enforcement intercepted the speeding vehicle just in time and made a shocking discovery – the body of 42-year-old Amy J. Finney in the back seat.
On Monday, September 1, the report of homicide was received by the sheriff’s office at 8:03 PM. The cops, dispatched from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, had received assistance from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Du Quoin Police Department, and they had been able to pull over John’s gray colored 2007 model Ford Escape at around 9 PM the same day. The car was spotted by a Christopher police officer, who continued to follow it from Illinois 14 to 148, until backup arrived and the man was detained.
After the authorities found out about Amy’s corpse in the SUV hatchback, they were immediately handed over for custody to the Perry County Coroner for further investigation and an autopsy. Meanwhile, John Finney was arrested with several charges against him.
A report from the sheriff’s office has also been able to pull out a rough timeline of events, which led to Amy’s murder by John. The preliminary investigation found evidence suggesting she was shot by her husband in their home near Mt. Vernon, Illinois. According to investigators closely examining the crime, Amy was shot dead by John the previous day, after the two got entangled in a domestic dispute, which was confirmed by some more forensic evidence found inside their home. Her death was caused by this fatal gunshot only.
Nonetheless, the exact reason for the argument causing homicide, however, remains unclear, and the authorities are yet to determine whether it was episodic or cause-centric. The report presented by the authorities read as “Preliminary evidence gathered strongly supports that Amy Finney died from a gunshot wound during a domestic dispute with John at their home.”
Investigators also uncovered an alarming detail. GPS data from John’s cell phone indicated he had been driving for several hours after killing his wife. The presence of Amy’s lifeless body inside the car makes it evident that he had, in fact, been driving with the corpse for so many hours in and around the county.
Based on the evidence and other findings, John Finney has been charged with first-degree murder and booked into the county jail. He is currently awaiting a pretrial detention hearing. There is no further information on whether he has entered a plea or has retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. Meanwhile, Amy’s family has been notified of the unfortunate incident. Their statement or next move of action cannot be clarified at the moment.
