Former Carroll County deputy pleads not guilty to reckless homicide, destroying evidence in teenager’s death

MOUNT CARROLL – A former Carroll County sheriff’s deputy has pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide, destroying evidence and several other criminal charges in connection with the July death of a Mount Carroll teen found dead on a state highway.

Matthew Herpstreith, 44, of Savanna, entered the not guilty plea during his arraignment Wednesday in Carroll County Circuit Court. He was charged March 24 with reckless homicide, reckless conduct, obstructing justice – all felonies – a misdemeanor count each of attempted obstruction of justice and destruction of evidence, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in the death of 18-year-old Jackson Kradle of Mount Carroll.

Kradle’s body was found at 3:30 a.m. July 28 on Route 78, less than a mile north of Mount Carroll’s city limits. He was the victim of blunt force trauma, which a forensic pathologist ruled was the result of a vehicle/pedestrian crash.

Herpstreith and a Carroll County dispatcher, who were off duty at the time, alerted the Carroll County dispatch center, via a nonemergency call, that they had found the body on the highway. Herpstreith’s arrest came eight months later.

Discussion during Wednesday’s arraignment laid some groundwork for how the case will proceed. Lee County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Klahn presided over the hearing, saying that although he expects to be assigned as the judge through the entirety of the case, that has yet to be decided. He said he has informed the chief judge that his brother-in-law is employed by the Illinois State Police; if his brother-in-law was involved in the investigation and is going to be called to testify, Klahn will recuse himself, he said.

Klahn also told the courtroom, filled to capacity with Kradle’s friends and family, that emotions will run high throughout the case, to be prepared for it and to act accordingly.

“It’s not lost on me that this case has had quite a bit of attention, and will continue to probably have quite a bit of attention,” Klahn said. “My job is going to be to manage the courtroom to make sure that everyone’s rights are respected. I want to make sure everyone gets a fair shake in this process and that Illinois law is followed.”

As such, he said, he would not tolerate any outbursts or any harassment or intimidation of witnesses or attorneys.

“I can’t allow that,” Klahn said. “I don’t like to ever be in a situation where I am going to have to place somebody in contempt of court. I really dislike that, but I just ask that, please, just don’t test my resolve on that, and I will make sure that everyone’s rights are respected through this process, and that everyone is treated fairly.”

The case

Kradle’s death was reported about 3:30 a.m. July 28, when the Carroll County dispatch center received a nonemergency call from Herpstreith and Amy Hubble, a former 911 dispatcher, who were off duty when they reported finding a body in the road.

Dispatch personnel sent an on-duty deputy sheriff as well as a local city officer, as that officer was closer to the reported location, to the scene.

[ Carroll County sheriff breaks silence about teen’s death, confirms sheriff’s employees who found body resigned ]

Carroll County Sheriff Ryan Kloepping a few months later said that when the on-duty deputy arrived at the site of the body’s discovery, they were told the reporting party already had been released from the scene. The Illinois State Police also were called in after the body was discovered to lead the investigation.

Herpstreith and Hubble were placed on administrative leave after Kradle’s body was found. Represented by the police union, the two turned in their resignations three days after they found the body and just before the time they knew they were going to be interrogated, Kloepping said.

In November, Dr. Mark Peters, a forensic pathologist, ruled that Kradle died from blunt force trauma as the result of a motor vehicle-pedestrian crash. A coroner’s inquest was held, and on Jan. 14, Kradle’s death was ruled a homicide caused by blunt trauma to the head from a motor vehicle-pedestrian crash.

The charges filed in March came after the Illinois State Appellate Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the state police investigation. Special prosecutor Charles Colburn, who is employed with Illinois State Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, is prosecuting the case. Herpstreith is being represented by defense attorney Joseph Nack.

Herpstreith’s next court appearance is a preliminary hearing set for 1:30 p.m. May 9 at the Carroll County Courthouse.