There are 1,369 cities in Illinois that range from over 2.5 million to just 14 residents. On January 29th, another gas station attendant, Kenny Foust, was shot and killed. Remember that knowledge is your friend. Technically speaking, property crime is the biggest concern in Centralia, IL. With all that live-action violence going on every day, it's no wonder that the Vermilion County War Museum is one of Danville's biggest attractions. In 2015, there were 299 violent crimes in Harvey with 5 murders, 23 cases of rape, 149 robberies and 122 aggravated assaults. Certainly there are killers with higher body counts in the Grand Canyon State, but their notoriety is eclipsed by that of Jodi Arias, who killed her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in cold blood and tried to convince a jury that the grisly crime was in self defense despite the overkill and clear signs of premeditation. Their bodies were found on a trail leading to the camp's showers. All rights reserved. Matthew was a student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die on a fence near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998. In Rockford, there are 1,544 annual assaults reported. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Chicago might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. The GSK seemed motivated by inflicting terror on his victims. In 2005, the convicted killer and child molester killed 40-year-old Brenda Groene, her boyfriend Mark McKenzie, and her 13-year-old son Slade and kidnapped her two other children, Dylan, 9 and Shasta, 8. 2. In some ways, its an oasis in the middle of the corn and soybean fields, with many unique cultural attractions, parks, and a lively downtown. She killed anywhere from 25 to 40 victims and was never caught. Chicago ranks as the based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Thomas Kokoralies was sentenced to 70 years in prison but was paroled on March 29th, 1999. Crawford admitted to the killings while being interrogated by police, and said he was responsible for another 3 murders and several other attacks in which the victims survived. Fugate claims she was a hostage, but Starkweather testified she was a willing accomplice. However, property crime is the biggest problem in IL for the most part. The primary tourist attraction is its connection with Abraham Lincoln, which is well-celebrated in the community. 2. Sheley killed 8 people with a hammer during one fateful week in 2008. As for why he left the baby alive: "The reason I did not kill the baby was, I believe, because I did not go into the room in which the baby lay," he said. Crime rates across the board are above the state and national average in this major metropolitan area that is home to about 150,000 people. These included both violent and property crimes. You can start building your own collection of David Bowie memorabilia thanks to his extensive body of music, film and more. That is because there have been 450 car thefts thus far in 2020, and so are signs of slowing down. Shasta's testimony was instrumental in putting together what had happened to her family and ensuring Duncan's conviction. Michelle Heather Guse, 9, Lori Lee Farmer, 8, and Doris Denise Milner, 10. Peoria also ranked as the sixth most violent place in Illinois, with 14 murders taking place and residents facing a 1 in 101 chance of being attacked in 2020. Its worth noting that this town is home to two correctional facilities, the Illinois Youth Center Joliet and the Joliet State Prison. A total of 4,286 offenses were reported in 2020. Chasing Chains, LLC. miles of space. We take a look at eight of the most famous homicides in the history of Illinois. Thats not the only thing Chicago has going for it, though. miles. The latest FBI crime data shows that Rockford ranks as the most dangerous city in Illinois for 2022. The trial and conviction of the "West Memphis Three" drew national attention, with celebrities like Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder advocating for their exoneration. WebThe population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. He was acquitted, and no one else was tried afterward. On Christmas in 1929, tobacco farmer Charlie Lawson murdered his wife and six of his seven children. It's a good thing it sits so close to the river. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! If everyone has a jazz band going, well, then, so much the better for you people. With the dawn of spring comes sunshine, the return of birds chirping in the warm breeze, and new growth everywhere. Assaults, burglaries, and thefts posted similar spikes. This is part of an overall crime problem for the community, with Granite City representing the number 5 most dangerous spot in Illinois. Most of the shootings happened in Queens and The Bronx, all with a .44 caliber revolver. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Shelia Eddy pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. In addition to the most dangerous towns in Illinois, youll likely want to avoid the creepiest town in Illinois, which, according to many, is Alton. Assault is when you physically harm another human, and it is an awful crime. WebCommunity Corner Illinois Cops Best Paid, But Worst At Solving Murders: Study Illinois ranked third overall nationally as the best place to be a police officer, but the state's cops The 25-year-old hanged himself in his cell mere hours after confessing to the murders. Prepare Your Lawn Mower For Spring (Lawn Mower Maintenance Checklist). He was sentenced to death in 1971 but then resentenced to life in prison after the US Supreme Court ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional. Thats another reason why its imperative to view each city individually and not make assumptions about either crime or safety. The property crime rate in the Prairie State ranks 38th highest in the United States -- 20.37% better than US average property crime rate. The only survivor was his eldest son, 16-year-old Arthur, whom he had sent on an errand just before committing the crime. mile rate are disturbing. Try to avoid going north of the University of Illinois in Champaign because it is dangerous. This moderate-sized town sees about 1,700 cases of violent crime per 100,000 people per year. When he was arrested, Kokoraleis told police the group would take women back to Gechts house, a satanic chapel, as he called it, where they raped and tortured them. Next, we averaged the two rankings into one "Dangerous Index". Violence (Im Not the Only Boy), 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, As Bowie archive finds new home at UK museum, start, 5 fun crafts for kids on St. Patricks Day, TikTok sets default time limit for users under 18, Man steals bus at JFK airport, drives through NYC, COVID fraudster extradited after year on the run, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, LAPD may not send armed officers to these police, Arrest warrants issued for projected NFL draft pick, Ship tragically lost in 1894 found in Lake Huron, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Sheley was sentenced to life in prison. Gacy assaulted and murdered at least 33 boys and young men in Chicago. Also, strong DNA evidence from hairs found on the body of 11-year-old Patrick Baltazar link to Williams and his family's dog. According to FBI data, the most dangerous city in Illinois is Mount Vernon, which has a violent crime rate that is more than three times the national average and more than twice the state average. Rockford is the 3rd biggest city in IL, and it matches its size in crime reports. Chicago ranks as the #44 safest out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. (L) Dean Corll's Army enlistment photo; (R) Elmer Wayne Henley, his accomplice and murderer. A high poverty rate and lower household income likely play a role. However, the danger some Illinois cities offer can be summed up by the 33 crimes per sq. The town is about 40 miles southwest. Seven weeks later, Shasta turned up alive at a Coeur d'Alene Denny's. Robert Chambliss was sentenced to life in prison. WebThe 2019 crime rate in Lincoln, IL is 178 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.5 times smaller than the U.S. average. Tommy O'Connor. Not surprisingly, Galena has been named one of the coolest small towns in the U.S. If you're looking to be that diamond in the rough, or you're just curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. Population: 14,670Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,165 (Fourth most dangerous)Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,124 (13th most dangerous)More on Mount Vernon: |Cost Of Living|Crime Report. I'm going to go out on a limb here and posit that the Springfield the Simpsons live in isn't in Illinois, based on the fact that the Simpson's hometown only has one bumbling criminal at work. You may have been surprised to see that Chicago didnt make the list of the most dangerous towns in Illinois. Luckily, Metropolis does not have much violent crime when looking for a silver lining. Looks like the local police have their work cut out for them. Her story of survival and continued advocacy for survivors has inspired millions of Americans. Jacob Wolf and his family, plus a son of a neighbor who did chores for the family, were found dead on their Turtle Lake farm in 1920. These included everything from murder and rape to car theft and burglary. It has brought opportunities and funding as well as crime. There are 76 crimes pers sq. Decatur is located in the center of Illinois. The property crime rate in the Prairie State ranks 38th highest in the United States -- 20.37% better than US average property crime rate. There are neighborhoods in these cities that you shouldn't drive thru at all and there are areas that you definitely shouldn't be in after dark. It has the smallest population of any we considered. ", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

Between the poverty and high volume of property crimes, Wood River is a dangerous city to live in. Missouri has the fourth-highest murder rate of 11.3 murders per 100,000 residents. This small town may not see much murder or violent crime but the rate of property crime and personal theft is a real problem if you plan on moving here. James Joseph "Whitey" Bulger is one of the most notorious gangsters, hit men, and rats in mobster history. Dangerous towns in Illinois are the exception, not the norm. Illinois is by no means a small state and covers 57,915 sq. Your chances of becoming a victim of crime can range from 1 in 17 in northwest neighborhoods to 1 in 70 in northeast neighborhoods. Police believe he was a serial killer who would have taken more victims had he not been captured. Violent crime is over three times higher in Rockford than in the rest of Illinois. Overall, residents of Rockford face a 1 in 68 chance of being the victim of a violent crime each year. No, Chicago is not a dangerous city. In 2014, Nicholas Sheley, a Sterling native, was foundguilty of murdering four people in a two-day killing spree in Illinois and Missouri. This is among a city with a population of 32,030. The property crime rate in the ranks 316th highest in the United States -- 72.98% better than US average property crime rate. The case got a lot of media attention, likely due to the fact that Jodi was an attractive young woman, not the typical defendant one pictures with such brutal crimes, and for the graphic details about her sex life that unfolded during the trial. The violent crime rate in illinois ranks 18th highest in the United States -- 9.83% worse than US average violent crime rate. Follow this guide and explore the most dangerous cities in Illinois and what is responsible for their ranking. Of the total crime tally, there were 1,749 violent crimes and 4,471 property crimes reported per capita. Turns out, people from the Windy City arent that bad. Detectives later said Miller was a suspect in killing four other women in Chicago but were unable to link him conclusively to the crimes. Elizabeth shared the chocolates with her sister and some others on the porch of her father's home. The slayings have been attributed to Wayne Williams, an aspiring talent scout and record producer. He then killed Tom and Jill Estes at a hotel in Festus, Missouri the following day.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Chicago ranks 39th highest in America -- 79.79% worse than US average violent crime rate. One of those accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., shot Corll to death in the midst of the torture of two victims, Tim Kerley and Rhonda Williams. All Rights Reserved. We did the work for you. How does one navigate these dangerous cities when trying to make an informed decision on what city you should call home? When it comes to violent and property crimes, these cities rank highest per capita consistently, with between 163 222% higher crime occurrences than all of the other cities in Illinois. It got its start as a manufacturing town that became the main economic driver. Located in west-central Illinois, Granite City sits just across the Mississippi River from Missouri. If you are surprised that Chicago did not make the top 10 dangerous cities, that is entirely understandable. With a population of 78,638, these numbers are relatively low in comparison to the population, but crime is still a threat! (L-R) SheilaEddy, Rachel Shoaf, and Syklar Neese. [1] We're making a stop on our tour of the most dangerous places to live in Illinois in Mount Vernon, a city in Jefferson County. Hoopeston The 15th most dangerous place to live in Illinois is Hoopeston, The case wasn't reopened until the 1970s, with the first conviction occurring in 1977. Sadly, Peoria saw an uptick in violent and property crimes in the last three years. Ransom money paid to the perpetrator led police to Bruno Hauptmann, whose trial was dubbed the Trial of the Century by newspapers. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection, Source: Carl Koppelman, Wikimedia Commons, Source: Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution. Ray hinted at a conspiracy and tried to withdraw his guilty plea, but he spent the rest of his life in prison for the murder. Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America. Perhaps one of the most unfortunate facts about Springfield being on this list is that its the state capital. He later sued the Chicago Police Department for $15,000. Population: 13,738Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 3)Violent Crimes Per 100k: 684 (21st most dangerous)Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,746 (Second most dangerous)More on Cahokia: |Cost Of Living|Crime Report. RoadSnacks is reader-supported. In 2010, the three were allowed to enter an Alford plea, which allowed them to assert their innocence while acknowledging there is sufficient evidence to convict them. During a typical year, the crime rate in Quincy is 33.69 per 1,000 residents. WebAccording to the latest FBI data, Jackson had the most murders in 2018 of 78, which is a murder rate of 47 murders per 100,000 residents. Of the total crime tally, there were 1,473 violent crimes and 4,639 property crimes reported per capita. The crime rate here is worse than 88% of the rest of Illinois. They inspired many films, most notably Natural Born Killers. Rhoades is thought to have tortured and killed more than 50 women. The Axeman's story owes its staying power to a letter someone claiming to be the perpetrator sent to newspapers on March 13, 2019, saying he would kill again at 15 minutes past midnight on the night of March 19, but households who played jazz music at that time would live to see another day: "I am very fond of jazz music, and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions that every person shall be spared in whose home a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. One of the most popular cities in Central Illinois, this town is home to about 155,000 residents and sees about 760 cases of violent crime per 100,000 people each year. 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