Grand jury indicts Illinois man in Janesville woman's murder
ROCKFORD, Ill. — An Illinois grand jury this week handed down a 33-count indictment against a Rockford, Ill., man accused of fleeing the state after fatally shooting a Janesville woman Sept. 9 on Interstate 90/39 near South Beloit, Ill.
Kody R. P. J. Walsh, 22, is charged in the death of Lori A. Daniels, 36.
With the combined charges, Walsh faces life in prison. He was in court Thursday in Rockford.
The Winnebago County Grand Jury’s indictment charges Walsh using several first-degree murder scenarios, including allegations that shooting Daniels in the head was especially heinous and brutal.
The documents also charge Walsh with the attempted murder of a Beloit man who was a mutual acquaintance of Walsh and Daniels.
Daniels approached Walsh and the Beloit man at a club in Rockford because she needed a ride to Beloit, according to police reports. Walsh shot her in the head and then held the man at gunpoint in the man’s Ford Explorer, according to the indictment.
He then forced the man to continue driving to Beloit. Walsh left the man at his home and fled in the man’s SUV with Daniels’ body in the vehicle.
Walsh also is charged with attempted first-degree murder of two police officers who pursued him after he fled Beloit. He fired at the officers, according to police reports.
The indictment also charges Walsh with attempted armed robbery, the unlawful use of a weapon by a street gang member and aggravated fleeing to elude among other charges. Walsh is a member of the Satan Disciples street gang, according to the indictment.
Walsh was on the run for about a week after the shooting. He was captured Sept. 16 after a high-speed chase in Tennessee. He is in the Winnebago County Jail without bond.
Daniels grew up in Beloit, according to her obituary published in the Beloit Daily News. Her most recent address was on Janesville’s south side. She was employed at Rock Valley Community Programs, which provides support for people transitioning out of prison.
The Rockford Register Star contributed to this report.
