Two of Sheley's alleged accomplices plead not guilty

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MORRISON - The brother and cousin of accused spree killer Nicholas T. Sheley pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that they helped cover up the murder of a 93-year-old rural Whiteside County man. Eric A. Smith, 28, of Rock Falls, is charged with being an armed habitual criminal, punishable by 6 to 30 years in prison, and two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, punishable by 3 to 14 years in prison. Joshua J. Sheley, 30, of Rock Falls, is charged with concealment of a homicidal death, punishable by 2 to 5 years in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by 1 to 6 years in prison. Both men were indicted Wednesday. Because the indictments supersede previous charges, an obstruction of justice charge against Smith was dropped Friday. They are in Whiteside County jail; Smith's bond is $100,000 and Sheley's is $750,000. Sterling attorney Theron Burall is representing Smith, while Whiteside County Public Defender Bill McNeal is representing Joshua Sheley. Prosecutors allege that Nicholas T. Sheley, 28, beat Russell R. Reed to death June 14 and put his body in the trunk of his own car. That day, Joshua Sheley allegedly called his girlfriend, Jenna B. Henson, 20, of Sterling, and asked if he could park the car in her Griswold Avenue driveway. He also allegedly told his brother to back the car farther back from the street. Investigators say Henson and the Sheleys drove to Chicago on June 25 and threw a pair of bloody shoes in a trash bin. Joshua Sheley allegedly told his brother he was going to get him out of trouble. On June 29, two days after Smith turned himself in to Whiteside County deputies, investigators found a Rohm .22 caliber revolver and .22 ammunition, either at Smith's house or place of business, according to court documents. Investigators say Nicholas Sheley stole a Rohm .22 caliber revolver from a house on South Ridge Road in Rock Falls. Henson also is charged with two counts of obstructing justice, punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison, for allegedly lying to police about where Reed's car came from and for saying she hadn't seen Nicholas Sheley in 5 years. Her preliminary hearing is Aug. 1. Nicholas Sheley has been charged with first-degree murder in Reed's death, the death of a Galesburg man and the deaths of an Arkansas couple killed in Festus, Mo. He is the only suspect in another four beating deaths in Rock Falls, on June 28 or 29.