An Illinois man was arrested after police say he was found driving with his deceased wife’s body in his vehicle. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies began investigating a homicide at a residence in Mount Vernon around 8 p.m. on Monday, September 1. Authorities shared information about a possible suspect vehicle involved in the case.
Roughly an hour later, an officer from the Christopher Police Department identified a 2007 Ford Escape matching the description of the suspect vehicle. The officer followed the SUV and called for backup before stopping it in rural DuQuoin. Officials stated that John W. Finney, age 51, was driving the car.
Inside the vehicle, police discovered Amy Finney, 42, dead. Investigators determined that she had been killed at the couple’s home near Mount Vernon, which is approximately 40 miles northeast of where John Finney was stopped by law enforcement.
Officials did not provide information regarding why John Finney was traveling through DuQuoin or what his intended destination might have been while transporting his wife’s body.
Deputies said they believe Amy Finney died from gunshot wounds during what they described as a domestic dispute. John Finney has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held at the Jefferson County Jail.
Mount Vernon is located about 145 miles southeast of Springfield.
“The officer called for backup and followed the SUV for a time, then pulled over the driver, 51-year-old John W. Finney, stopping in rural DuQuoin, officials said.”
“Police found 42-year-old Amy Finney dead inside the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.”
“As officers searched John Finney’s vehicle, investigators discovered evidence that Amy Finney had been killed at the couple’s home near Mount Vernon, a roughly 40-mile drive northeast from DuQuoin.”
“Deputies believe he shot his wife to death ‘during a domestic dispute.'”
“John Finney was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder and booked into the Jefferson County Jail, the sheriff’s office said.”
