Prosecutor: Rock Falls man accused of Valentine’s Day murder had history of threatening exes' new partners

MORRISON – A Rock Falls man accused of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of another Rock Falls man will remain detained in the Whiteside County Jail after being deemed a continuing threat to witnesses and the community at large.

Kyle M. Cooper, 36, of Rock Falls is being held in the Whiteside County Jail in Morrison on that charge as well as two counts of aggravated battery in connection with the Feb. 14 death of Daniel J. Gordon, 27, also of Rock Falls. Cooper, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, appeared in court Friday in the custody of the Whiteside County Jail for his detention hearing.

At that time, Whiteside County Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Simon laid out details of the state’s case against Cooper, taken into custody on an aggravated battery charge in the hours after Gordon was stabbed in the driveway of a Rock Falls residence in an attack so brutal, Simon said, that Gordon’s intestines were exposed and outside of his body.

In detailing the state’s case, Simon said the events leading up to the stabbing included a verbal altercation at a bar just hours before between Cooper and Gordon, who was dating a woman who had previously dated Cooper.

Gordon and the woman left the bar and later went to a home in the 600 block of West 20th Street in Rock Falls. Simon said the couple were at the house when a vehicle Cooper was in pulled up to the house, and Cooper got out of the vehicle while holding something shiny in his hand.

The woman was fearful Cooper was going to use a knife to vandalize a vehicle and approached Cooper, who began pushing the woman, Simon said. Simon said Gordon got involved to protect the woman, that Cooper jumped on top of Gordon and stabbed Gordon in the abdomen several times before others were able to pull Cooper off Gordon’s body. Cooper then left the scene, Simon said.

Rock Falls police were called to the scene around 1:50 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Gordon in the driveway, unresponsive and suffering from severe injuries, Simon said. Gordon died later that day at CGH Medical Center.

Cooper was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 14 and held on an aggravated battery charge, according to police. The charges were upgraded Feb. 18 to include murder and a second count of aggravated battery.

Simon asked that Cooper remain detained based on an extensive criminal history that includes protective orders as well as evidence that he had not followed court orders in multiple other cases.

He also said Cooper was known to carry a knife on him and had a history of attacking others by lunging at them in a manner similar to the attack on Gordon and then blacking out. Simon said Cooper also had previously threatened two men who were romantically involved with other women he had dated, including the fiance of the mother of his children.

In making his case to the judge for denial of pretrial release, Simon said Cooper is too great of a threat to the community and should remain held in jail so no one else is harmed.

If not, Simon said, “The question has to be posed: Who will be next?”

Cooper’s attorney, Jim Mertes of Sterling, laid the defense’s groundwork Friday by gathering surveillance camera footage through subpoenas, with several business representatives in the courtroom turning over their footage or requesting assistance to do so. According to court records, businesses issued subpoenas include North End Liquor, Bartinis, Shell Gas Station and Kockran’s Pub.

Mertes argued Cooper should be released because his rights were violated as he did not appear before a judge within 48 hours of his Feb. 14 arrest. He also said Cooper’s detention hearing had been wrongfully delayed.

Judge Jennifer Rangel-Kelly dismissed that argument.

“I do not find Mr. Cooper’s rights were violated,” the judge said, adding the state had met the burden of proof to detain Cooper.

Cooper will next appear in court for a March 3 preliminary hearing.