Mariah R. Fearn, a 32-year-old female from Alton, Illinois, died on the morning of June 1, 2026, after violence erupted inside a home in the 3400 block of Milton Drive. Online reports identify the address as 3416 Milton Drive, where officers were called just before 8:00 a.m. for a report that two people had been shot. When police arrived, they found Mariah dead from apparent gunshot wounds. A second victim, Patrick A. Greenwell, was also found badly injured, suffering from gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma to his head.
The scene described by authorities was not only a shooting, but also a brutal hammer attack. Greenwell was taken first to a local hospital and then transported by medical helicopter to a St. Louis hospital for advanced treatment. Court documents said he told officers that a man known as "LJ" had shot him and struck him in the head with a hammer. He later identified the suspect from a photo. Other witnesses also reportedly confirmed that the same suspect had shot both victims and struck Greenwell.
Authorities identified the suspect as John A. Hammond, 46, of Alton. Police said investigators quickly developed information that led them to Carlinville, Illinois, where they found the vehicle Hammond allegedly used to flee the scene. Hammond was arrested there within hours of the attack and taken to the Madison County Jail. Alton police later said Hammond and the victims were acquaintances, though authorities did not publicly say what they believed led to the violence.
Hammond was charged on June 3, 2026, after the Madison County State's Attorney's Office reviewed the Alton Police Department investigation. The charges included two counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, and aggravated battery. Court documents alleged that Hammond shot and killed Mariah, shot Greenwell, and hit Greenwell in the head with a hammer with the intent to kill him. Prosecutors also alleged that Hammond used a Taurus G2C9 firearm during the crimes.
The case moved forward quickly. On June 11, 2026, a Madison County grand jury indicted Hammond on the same core allegations connected to Mariah's death and the attack on Greenwell. Reports said Hammond remained in custody at the Madison County Jail, with a preliminary hearing set for June 12. Court documents also noted Hammond's prior convictions, including aggravated battery with a firearm in Madison County in 2009 and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in Madison County in 2022. Additional reporting said his criminal history dated back to 1996, when he was charged as an adult as a juvenile in a weapons case out of Alton.
In the aftermath, Mariah's obituary said she passed away unexpectedly at 7:56 a.m. on June 1 at home. She was born on August 21, 1993, in Alton, and was remembered as a daughter, mother, sister, aunt, and loved one. She was survived by her daughter, Lovlee Rose, as well as siblings and extended family. A celebration of life was planned for a later date.
Hammond has been arrested, charged, indicted, and held in custody, but the case remained pending in the online reports reviewed. He is accused of killing Mariah and trying to kill Greenwell, but the charges are allegations unless and until proven in court.
