Aaron LeShawn Cutler, a 38-year-old resident of Springfield, Illinois, died on May 31, 2023, due to multiple gunshot wounds. The incident occurred in the 300 block of South Paul Street in Springfield, where deputies responded to reports of a fight around 6:00 p.m..
Cutler was found with a gunshot wound to his chest and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased by emergency room staff at 6:44 p.m.. An autopsy confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Another man was also found at the scene with a gunshot wound to his back, but he was conscious and alert at the time.
Following the incident, an investigation was launched by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office. On June 8, 2023, Jerry E. Stegall, a 37-year-old man from Springfield, was arrested in connection with Cutler's death. Stegall was taken into custody at a residence in Alton, Illinois, by the United States Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force and was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm. His bond was set at $2 million.
Stegall was returned to Springfield and is being held in the Sangamon County Jail. The investigation is ongoing to determine if any other individuals were involved in the homicide or assisted Stegall in fleeing the area.
Aaron Cutler is survived by his wife, Samantha Suter; his mother, Mary Ann; his children; his granddaughter; and several siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
