Gibson County –Tuesday afternoon, July 22, Indiana State Police and FBI arrested TimothyR. Farber, 61, of Evansville, for the alleged murder of Norman Ellerbrook in 1993.
The Indiana State Police Cold Case Squad and FBI recently revisited the unsolved homicide of Ellerbrook, which occurred on September 2, 1993, at his residence near Warrenton. Ellerbrook was found by his roommate at the bottom of the stairs to the basement. An autopsy revealed Ellerbrook died from blunt force trauma to his head. He also had multiple stab wounds, but the wounds were not in any vital area. Detectives spent years attempting to solve this homicide but were never able to link his death to the person responsible. Ellerbrook was 63 at the time of his death.
During this investigation, DNA evidence helped detectives link Farber to Ellerbrook’s death. The DNA analysis occurred at the Indiana State Police Regional Laboratories in Evansville and Indianapolis.
On Tuesday, July 22, the Gibson County Prosecutor’s Office filed for a murder arrest warrant for Farber. Indiana State Police and FBI arrested Farber at approximately 4:10 p.m.after Evansville Police found Farber walking in the area of Fulton Avenue and Maryland Street. He was arrested without incident and taken to the Gibson County Jail where he is currently being held without bond.
No additional information will be released at this time.
Investigating Officers: Detective Toni Walden, Indiana State Police Cold Case Squad and Detective Loren Brooks, FBI Task Force
Assisting Agencies: FBI and Evansville Police
Mt. Carmel Man Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison On Two Charges
Kelli Storckman, Wabash County State’s Attorney, reports that on July 22, 2025, David A. Banks, a 61-year-old Illinois man, was sentenced to 6 years in the Department of Corrections by the Honorable Circuit Judge William Hudson in Wabash County Circuit Court.
State’s Attorney Storckman advises that the Defendant was charged on March 3, 2023 with Possession of Methamphetamine, a Class 2 Felony, and then on May 8, 2023, with Burglary, a Class 2 Felony. Defendant was sentenced to three (3) years on each case to be served consecutively. Defendant will be placed on mandatory supervised release for 24 months following his release from DOC.
MCFD Accepting Applications For Volunteer Firefighters
If you’re interested in becoming a Mt. Carmel volunteer firefighter, the deadline to submit your application has been extended. Fire Commissioner Susan Zimmerman reported at Monday’s City Council meeting that applications will be accepted until this Friday at the fire station.
To Meet State Guidelines, School Board Approves Slight Increase In Breakfast & Lunch Prices
In approving fees for the upcoming school year, the Wabash District #348 school board has okayed a slight increase in the cost of breakfasts and lunches. Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer told the school board the increase is coming from the state level…
Breakfast and lunch prices will be going up 10 cents each.
School Board Explores Dropping Student Athletic Admission Fee
The Wabash District #348 school board is considering dropping admission charges to sporting events for district students. At Monday morning’s monthly meeting, Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer brought up the idea of not charging any student in the district to get into athletic events. He said the district didn’t make a lot of money by charging the students. For the first time this school year, all students in the district will be issued photo ID’s that Bleyer said could be used for admission into the games. While not taking any action on the idea, members of the school board seemed receptive to the plan. The school board will meet in special session next Tuesday at which time they could approve the proposal ahead of the start of the new school year.
Vincennes woman arrested for Reckless Driving
On July 21, 2025, at 7:02 p.m. Gibson County Deputy Eric Powell conducted a traffic stop on a Silver 2011 BMW for traveling 90-mph in a 50-mph zone on US 41 near State Road 168. Upon approaching the vehicle Deputy Powell identified the driver as 63-year-old Katherine Hatton of Vincennes. During a brief roadside investigation Deputy Powell placed Ms. Hatton into custody and observed drug paraphernalia in plain view. As the investigation continued, Deputy Powell seized Methamphetamines and additional drug paraphernalia before transporting her to the Gibson County Detention Center. Upon arriving at the Gibson County Detention Center Ms. Hatton was charged with Reckless Driving, Possession of Paraphernalia, and Possession of Methamphetamines.
Deputy Bart Wagner assisted Deputy Powell in his investigation.
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wabash District #348 Personnel Matters
The school board acted on these personnel matters at Monday morning’s monthly meeting.
Derailment Discussed At City & County Meetings
Friday evening’s trail derailment in rural Wabash County was a topic at both Mt. Carmel City Council and Wabash County Commissioner meetings. At the city council meeting on Monday, Mayor Joe Judge reflected on the response from various local agencies…
Judge said it was a good example of all groups working together in a situation that could’ve been a lot worse…
Judge said none of the first responders were injured during the derailment response.
At the county commissioner meeting, Sheriff Derek Morgan said his deputies put in 18 man hours over the weekend at the derailment, providing first aid to one of the injured train personnel and helping to evacuate three nearby residences.
Photo Credit: Kyle Peach
Body of Washington woman recovered from White River
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating after the body of a Washington woman was recovered yesterday from the White River.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., conservation officers were called to the Maysville Public Access Site after a group of swimmers had two people swept down river.
DNR Law Enforcement personnel arrived on scene and rescued one of the victims, a juvenile, from a sand bar located downstream. The body of Kathrynn Bottoms, 21, of Washington was later recovered.
The juvenile was transported to Davies Community Hospital to be checked by medical personnel.
Assisting agencies include Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and Daviess Community Hospital Emergency Medical Services.
Indiana Conservation Officers remind the public to always wear a life jacket when on or around the water.
Comptroller Mendoza won’t run for reelection, opening up statewide office
State’s chief financial officer leaves open possibility of a run for Chicago mayor
By ANDREW ADAMS
Capitol News Illinois
aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com
Article Summary
Susana Mendoza will not run for reelection as Illinois comptroller, the state’s chief financial officer. She is rumored to be considering a run for Chicago mayor.
Mendoza held the comptroller’s office during the worst budgetary crisis in state history and through the COVID-19 pandemic.
A key step in how Cook County Democrats choose who to endorse for statewide office is happening this week.
Candidates are expected to announce whether they will run to replace Mendoza in the coming weeks.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
CHICAGO — After almost a decade, Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza will not seek another term as the state’s chief financial officer.
Mendoza, who took office in December 2016 after beating an ally of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in a special election, has overseen the state’s financial systems through both the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst budget crisis any state has faced in modern history.
At a news conference Wednesday, Mendoza said she’s not running for reelection in the 2026 comptroller’s race, so she will have time to decide her next career move.
“I'm going to figure out what the right move is for our family, for our city, our state, find out where I'm needed most, that next biggest challenge that I need to take on,” Mendoza said.
Prior to taking statewide office, Mendoza was the first woman to be the Chicago City Clerk. Mendoza previously spent a decade in the Illinois House of Representatives.
It’s been widely speculated that Mendoza, who ran for Chicago mayor in 2019, is eyeing a run to unseat sitting Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in 2027.
While she didn’t commit to a run, she said she is “leaving the door open.” Several U.S. House seats are up for grabs, along with Illinois’ first open U.S. Senate seat since 2010.
But when asked whether she was interested in a position in Congress, Mendoza laughed.
“No thank you,” she quickly said Thursday, before moving on to questions about a potential mayoral bid.
Comptroller vacancy
The comptroller’s office, traditionally a low-visibility role, became a high-stakes proxy battle between Democratic and Republican power brokers during the budget impasse of the mid-2010s.
Mendoza became the most vocal and high-profile statewide Democratic foil to Republicans at the height of the more than two-year budget impasse between Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly. After Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka died in 2014, Rauner appointed Leslie Munger to the position. Mendoza beat Munger with 49.5% of the vote in a special election in 2016.
Mendoza gained statewide visibility for her frequent videos assailing Rauner and highlighting that the state was accruing a massive “bill backlog” driven by ongoing court-mandated expenditures amid dwindling revenue brought on by the impasse.
She won reelection in 2018 and 2022, routinely posting the widest margins of any statewide elected official.
No Republican, meanwhile, has won statewide office since Rauner in 2014, and few have come especially close. This puts the focus for replacing Mendoza on the Democratic primary process. The announcement creates an opportunity for a new Democrat to make a run for an open statewide office for the first time since 2018.
MENDOZA QUESTIONS
Mendoza said she wanted to make the announcement early enough for people interested in replacing her to “make their pitches” to party officials. The Cook County Democratic Party — a powerhouse in statewide party politics — is holding its “slating” meetings this week to decide which candidates the party will endorse.
Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, is expected to appear at the slating for statewide candidates and make a formal announcement about her 2026 plans next week, according to sources close to the representative.
“With chaos unfolding at the national level, Illinoisans need steady state leadership and deserve a Comptroller who is prepared to lead with transparency, efficiency, and integrity,” Croke said in a statement after Mendoza’s announcement.
Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim is also expected to appear at the Cook County slating meeting, with an announcement about her plans in the coming weeks.
“Susana Mendoza raised the bar for transparency and accountability, and I intend to build on that legacy,” Kim said.
Sen. Karina Villa, D-Chicago, is also scheduled to appear at the slating meeting to discuss a potential comptroller bid. Sen. Javier Cervantes, D-Chicago, was previously on the agenda, although his name was later removed.
Mendoza said she hopes her replacement is committed to serving the entire state, noting that while she is a Chicagoan, she said she has a “very soft spot in my heart for southern Illinois.”
Mayoral ambitions
While Mendoza did not commit to a run for mayor, she did speak at length about the needs of the city.
“Chicago is in dire need of competency, someone who understands the needs of the city, who understands how important the role of the city is to the good functioning of the whole state,” Mendoza said. “And I think we’ve had two very unsuccessful mayors in a row.”
Mendoza stressed public safety and Chicago’s need for a growth-centered economic policy.
“It’s not just our feathered friends that have flown south, it’s the most important bird in Chicago: the crane,” Mendoza said. “You can look at a city and gauge its financial health by the number of cranes that are in the sky. And, right now, you have an unobstructed, picture-perfect view of this city.”
If she runs, Mendoza could be joined by several other prominent Illinois politicians in the race for mayor. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is also rumored to be considering a run.
Mendoza made her announcement at Los Comales, a restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood that specializes in Mexico City-style tacos. Christina Gonzalez, the co-owner of the Los Comales chain and daughter of its founder, noted that Mendoza was from the neighborhood.
“She was always a customer here,” Gonzalez said. “Her parents brought her here and she knew my dad — my dad loved her.”
It’s the same restaurant where she announced her first run for state representative more than 20 years ago and her ill-fated mayoral bid in 2019.
Gonzalez said the restaurant, which was mostly empty aside from Mendoza’s supporters and reporters, has faced a significant slowdown in business recently, thanks to rumors about immigration enforcement.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Tuesday, July 17, to to reflect the latest information regarding candidates seeking to be slated by Cook County Democrats.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announces she will not seek reelection alongside her husband David Szostak. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)