ST. PETERS, Mo. — A man was arrested and charged with murder after police said he shot a deputy to death in Wayne County, Illinois, and shot and carjacked someone in St. Peters, Missouri, on Wednesday.
The Illinois State Police identified him as 40-year-old Ray Tate of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. As of Wednesday evening, he had been charged with one count of first-degree murder by the Wayne County State's Attorney.
Here is a timeline of the events that led to his arrest.
Dec. 16
In a Facebook post on Dec. 16, the Knox County Sheriff's Office identified Tate as a suspect in a shooting near a hotel in the area. They said he got away from deputies and fired a shot at a driver in an attempted carjacking. He eventually fled the scene and was not caught until Wednesday.
Around 5 a.m. Wednesday
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office said Deputy Sean Riley responded to a "motorist assist" call on Interstate 64 in Illinois.
Wayne County is approximately two hours from the St. Louis area just east of Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
Another officer found Deputy Riley's body at the scene, but his squad car was missing.
Officers were able to find the squad car down I-64, but they said Tate got into a semi-truck before officers arrived and forced the driver at gunpoint to take him to St. Peters, Missouri.
Around 7 a.m. Wednesday
St. Peters, Missouri, police report a carjacking and shooting at the QuikTrip at 391 Main Street.
Police said the suspect shot a victim in the shoulder and the vehicle was taken. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the vehicle was found in O'Fallon, Missouri, off Highway 70.
Police believed the suspect in the QuikTrip carjacking was the same suspect from the Wayne County shooting.
The suspect was last known to be wearing a light gray hoodie, dark pants and dark shoes.
O'Fallon, Missouri police said the suspect moved to another vehicle, a white Nissan Titan pickup with the Missouri license plate 0WE-A43. The Illinois State Police said he stole that car and kidnapped a person inside it.
Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday
At 12:22 p.m. the Clinton County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook to warn residents near Carlyle that two men who were armed and dangerous were in the area. The investigators believed one of the men is the suspect wanted for the multistate shooting and carjacking earlier on Wednesday. An update to the post said the suspect was arrested and there was no further threat to safety in the area.
There was also a large police presence at a house on Beaver Rd. just north of Carlyle. He drove that vehicle to rural Carlyle, Illinois, where he forced his way into the home and held the kidnapped victim and the homeowner against their will.
Police eventually caught up with him at that home. Officers with the ISP SWAT division were able to take him into custody without further incident. The stolen Nissan Titan was seen being towed from the scene of his arrest Wednesday evening.
Around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday
The Indiana State Police confirmed that the suspect was wanted in connection to the Wayne County deadly shooting and St. Peters carjacking was taken into custody near Carlyle, Illinois.
Later in the day he was charged with murder and identified as Ray Tate of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.