News

Man charged with murder of Southern Illinois toddler

Posted July 04, 2020 7:00 am

The Associated Press

CARLINVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 23-month-old girl who died after her head was apparently slammed against a wall of her mother's Southern Illinois home.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register r eports that 27-year-old Allan R. Castleberry Jr. appeared in a Macoupin County courtroom this week, where Associate Judge Joshua A. Meyer set his bond at $1 million.

According to the paper, the charge indicates that Castleberry struck Gracie Ellen Rose Nance's head against a wall on Feb. 3 at the Carlinville residence that he shared with the girl's mother, Courtney L. Rice.

Rice discovered the girl wasn't breathing and called 911, and the child was rushed to an area hospital.

Authorities said that Castleberry, who had been a resident of the western Illinois community of Roodhouse, was living with Nance and her daughter at the time of the incident.

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers Illinois News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.