White/Caucasian male Bryson Saddoris, 21, of Macomb, Illinois, was identified by police after a report of an alleged homicide at a house in the 600 block of North Randolph Street on July 27, 2025. Responding officers later located the body of Bryson Saddoris, 21, male, inside the residence as the investigation unfolded. Authorities publicly named him and noted his age and city of residence as they began piecing together what happened that weekend.
According to details presented in court and attributed to the police investigation, the violence began after Bryson Saddoris, 21, male, had been in a bedroom with two Macomb men using methamphetamine. One of the men, Sean Hayes, led Bryson Saddoris, 21, male, to the kitchen; a short time later, a neighbor would describe a distraught visitor in the early morning hours, and investigators would allege a shotgun blast to the head was followed by additional gunfire with a revolver. An autopsy later documented projectiles in the head, chest, neck, back, and abdomen, stating the initial head wound would have been fatal. In the days that followed, investigators said the men tried to clean the scene and burn evidence in a backyard fire pit, and that photographs of Bryson Saddoris, 21, male, wrapped in a sleeping bag and plastic were shown to others, prompting the tip that brought police to the home.
The investigation quickly produced arrests. On July 27, officers detained Sean Hayes, 37, and Morgan Bearce, 24, both of Macomb. Within days, prosecutors charged both men with two counts of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the killing of Bryson Saddoris, 21, male. A judge denied their pretrial release, and they were held in the McDonough County Jail as the case proceeded, with early summaries from authorities noting that the motive might involve money.
Weeks later, the legal picture shifted. Prosecutors moved to dismiss the murder case against Sean Hayes, stating the charges could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt as additional evidence came in regarding the shooting death of Bryson Saddoris, 21, male, while continuing the case against Morgan Bearce, who remained charged with two counts of first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Police and prosecutors emphasized that the homicide investigation was ongoing and asked anyone with information to come forward.
