Do you know who murdered the Dardeen family in 1987?
On November 18, 1987, 30‑year‑old Ruby Elaine Dardeen—who went by Elaine—was found brutally beaten to death at her mobile home outside Ina, Illinois. Elaine, a White female, was seven months pregnant at the time. The violence inflicted was so traumatic that she went into premature labor during the attack, giving birth to a baby girl who was also beaten to death. Elaine’s 3‑year‑old son, Peter, had similarly been beaten to death and found tucked into bed beside her and the newborn. The entire scene suggested prolonged savagery, with the trio covered and placed together as if staged.
Elaine’s husband, 29‑year‑old Russell “Keith” Dardeen, was initially suspected due to his absence from work. However, the next day his wounded and mutilated body was found in a field about a mile from the home. Keith, a White male, had been shot multiple times and sexually mutilated—his genitals severed—with his car discovered parked at a police station several miles away. Forensic evidence indicated that Keith was killed within an hour of his wife and children, and that Elaine and the kids likely died roughly 12 hours before their bodies were found. Despite rumors of a satanic ritual, robbery, rape, or marital infidelity, investigators found no signs of burglary, forced entry, or sexual contact, and nothing was missing from the home.
Investigators—including local law enforcement, state police and two FBI profilers—spent months investigating the crime. Nearly 30 detectives examined more than 150 pieces of evidence, interviewed over 100 people, and followed more than 1,000 leads. At various points, one man was briefly arrested but released due to lack of evidence. A small quantity of marijuana found in the trailer was not linked to the family and was suspected to have been planted by the killer. Investigators leaned toward the belief that the family had been deliberately targeted—possibly by someone who knew them or saw something in Keith—but no solid motive was established.
In 2000, convicted Texas serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells claimed responsibility for the murders. He allegedly gave investigators nonpublic details, such as describing decorative watermelon-patterned plates inside the home. Sells said he had met Keith by chance and was invited home, where a sexual proposition by Keith triggered an outburst of violence, leading to the murders and mutilations. Despite aspects of his confession aligning with known facts, the State’s Attorney declined to press charges due to inconsistencies and the inability to interview Sells in person. Sells was executed in Texas in 2014. Though some local authorities still consider him the prime suspect, and Keith’s mother has vacillated in belief, the confession has not led to prosecution and the case remains officially unsolved.
To this day, the murders of 30‑year‑old White female Elaine, her unborn baby, 3‑year‑old son Peter, and her 29‑year‑old White male husband Keith remain one of Southern Illinois’s most chilling unsolved crimes. No arrests have been made, no suspects have been charged, and no one has been convicted in connection with their deaths.
