Olney, IL – On Saturday, October 10, 2020, the office of the Richland County State’s Attorney Charles Bradley Vaughn charged Dale E. Boatman Jr., a 32-year-old male of Olney, IL, with three counts of First-Degree Murder by Accountability and one count of Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder for his role in the September 6, 2020 murder of Kyle M. Johnson.
As it relates to the First-Degree Murder by Accountability charges; Boatman, or one for whom he was accountable, is alleged to have intentionally and without lawful justification and with the intent to kill or do great bodily harm to Kyle M. Johnson, discharged a firearm at Johnson thereby causing his death.
As it relates to the Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder charge; Boatman is alleged to, with intent that the first-degree murder of Kyle M. Johnson be committed, agreed with Tara Haws and Rick Meador to the commission of first-degree murder as alleged in the above three counts. Bond on the above charges was set at $1,000,000.00 and Boatman remains in custody in the Richland County Jail.
The incident occurred on September 6, 2020 at the intersection of North Walnut and East Laurel Street in Olney, Illinois. An adult male, later identified as Kyle M. Johnson, a 19-year-old from Olney, IL, was found with multiple gunshot wounds and transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 8 officials were requested by the Olney Police Department to assist with the homicide investigation.
Through information gathered during the investigation led by ISP DCI Zone 8, four arrests have resulted in connection with this homicide - Rick A. Meador, an 18-year-old male of Olney, IL for First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder – currently held at the Richland County Jail, Tara N. Haws, a 33-year-old female of Olney, IL for First-Degree Murder by Accountability and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder – currently held at the Richland County Jail, a 16-year-old female of Olney, IL for First-Degree Murder by Accountability and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder – currently held at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center, and Dale E. Boatman Jr., a 32-year-old male of Olney, IL for First-Degree Murder by Accountability and Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder – currently held at the Richland County Jail.
ISP DCI Zone 8 was assisted by the Olney Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, ISP District 12 Patrol, ISP District 13 Patrol, and the United States Marshals in this investigation. No additional information will be released by the ISP. Any further inquiries should be addressed to the Richland County State’s Attorney’s Office.
