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Kenneth Dawson

Death by Force
Case Description
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Patrol Officer Kenneth R. Dawson, aged 42, was a dedicated officer with the Wheeling Police Department in Illinois. On November 5, 1985, Officer Dawson responded to a burglary call on Cleo Court. Tragically, he was shot and killed while on duty at 7:30 pm. The suspect, a convicted felon, was later arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, and armed robbery. Initially, the suspect was sentenced to death.

However, on January 11, 2003, the outgoing governor g ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (9)
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  • Patrol Officer Kenneth R. Dawson, Wheeling Police Department ...
  • POLICEMAN SLAIN IN WHEELING - Chicago Tribune
    •     ...View 7 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Patrol Kenneth R. Dawson

    Male

    White / Caucasian

    Wheeling

    IL

    1985-11-05

    42

    Kenneth

    Dawson

    11/08/2025

    Forum Posts (3)
    I can't stop thinking about the timing of this shocking turn of events. Can you imagine what Officer... ...Read More
    12/08/2024
    I was researching the case of Officer Kenneth R. Dawson, and I can't help but wonder about the impac... ...Read More
    11/06/2023
    Hey everyone, I’ve been digging into the Officer Kenneth R. Dawson case, and I wanted to focus on ... ...Read More
    09/24/2023
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