On January 24, 2024, Steven C. Herring, a 55-year-old resident of Moline, Illinois, was found dead from a gunshot wound. Herring was discovered at a home in the 3300 block of 25th Avenue in Moline.
The investigation into Herring's death led police to another location in the 1800 block of 46th Street, where they found the body of Donna Ericson, who had also been shot. Ericson was identified as the mother of Chad Hillyer, a suspect in both deaths. Hillyer was also a close friend of Steven Herring.
Chad Hillyer, 55 years old, was subsequently identified as the suspect in the murders of both Herring and Ericson. Later that night, police located Hillyer in a suspicious vehicle on a rural road near the border with Tiffin, Iowa, just off I-380. Hillyer was found dead inside the vehicle from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing an end to the immediate danger and the investigation into the deaths of Herring and Ericson.
Steven C. Herring was born on December 11, 1968, in Moline, Illinois, to Raymond Francis and Karna (Russell) Herring. He graduated from Moline High School and worked for 28 years alongside his close friends and "second family," Dean and Jake Sheldon, at D.S. Excavating. Herring was an avid NASCAR fan, enjoyed fishing, and loved watching motocross. He is survived by his mother, sister, niece, nephew, great-nieces and -nephew, and many other relatives and friends.
A gathering to celebrate Herring's life was scheduled for Sunday, February 25, 2024, at The Lodge at the Conservancy in Milan, Illinois.
