2 Survivors Escaped After Double Murder In Rural Illinois: Prosecutors

SHERIDAN, IL — The man and woman found slain in a double homicide in rural Sheridan, Illinois, were identified Friday as Melissa Vissman of Ottawa, and Sidney Schiltz, 42, of Sheridan, LaSalle County Coroner Richard Ploch said. Although Ploch listed Vissman's age as 31, several news outlets report her age as 41.

Their bodies were found after police responded to 911 calls first reporting gunshots, then a fire in the home in the 2400 block of North 42nd Road in the early morning hours Thursday.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots at a home in the area of North 42nd Road in Sheridan, Undersheriff David Ortiz told reporters at a press conference published by WLS. Roughly 25 minutes after the call about the shooting, a house fire was reported at the same address, Ortiz said, and once the fire was out, deputies found two adults dead in the home.

Ronald W. Martin, 45, was arrested in the slayings after a nearly daylong manhunt. He faces six counts of first-degree murder and is accused of shooting Vissman and Schiltz to death.

Two other people were in the 42nd Road home at the time of the killings and survived, Ortiz said.

Prosecutors allege Martin came to Schiltz's home and shot him during an argument, and had been searching for a safe containing drugs and money.

According to court documents, a surviving witness who lived nearby was at Schiltz's home when Martin knocked on the door and came in, followed by Vissman, who was Martin's girlfriend, WGN reported. After seeing Martin shoot Schiltz and then walk to the back of the home, that witness said he was able to run out of the house.

Prior to the shooting, Schiltz's girlfriend said he had texted her telling her not to come out of the bedroom, saying that Martin was "acting weird," NBC reported. She heard Vissman ask Martin, "What are you doing," before hearing gunshots, according to WGN.

Prosecutors say Schiltz's girlfriend told police that Martin then came into the bedroom and struck her with the gun, demanding her cellphone, and that Vissman, already suffering from a gunshot wound, also came into the bedroom, where Martin shot her again, killing her, NBC reported. Schiltz's girlfriend was reportedly able to escape after distracting Martin by telling him they needed to find the first witness.

Prosecutors believe Martin then set the home on fire to cover up evidence of the killings, according to media reports.

A search warrant was executed at Martin's home, just two miles from Schiltz's home, officials said. According to ABC, Martin was found hiding in the brush after police executed a search warrant on property owned by the Martin family on East 3rd Road, about 30 miles away from where the shootings happened.

Prosecutors said Martin's brother, who was recently released from prison after serving time for murder, was also at Schiltz's home at the time of the killings and is being questioned as a possible accomplice, CBS reported.

Martin has previous convictions for robbery and aggravated assault, according to LaSalle County court records. In 2023, court records show an emergency order of protection was issued against him.

A petition to detain Martin until his trial under the SAFE-T Act was filed Friday. A hearing is set for Aug. 1.

A GoFundMe campaign set up to pay for cremation costs and support Vissman's three children called her "a mother, a sister, and a friend to many."

A campaign was also established to cover the cost of services for Schiltz, with any additional funds going to his three children.