He Was Stopped on Suspicion of Homicide — Then Cops Looked in His Car and Found the Unthinkable

An Illinois man is facing a murder charge after authorities allege they found his wife’s dead body in his car.

On Monday, Sept. 1, just after 8 p.m., deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a homicide, which included a description of the suspect and their vehicle, according to a press release shared on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

After putting out an alert for a gray 2007 Ford Escape, an officer with the Christopher Police Department spotted the SUV just after 9 p.m., per the release. The officer followed the car west on state highway 148 before other law enforcement officers arrived.

The driver, 51-year-old John W. Finney, was detained while investigators searched the SUV. Inside, officers claimed they found a dead woman, later identified as Finney’s wife, 42-year-old Amy J. Finney, the release states.

At the same time, officers searching the Finney residence in Mt. Vernon, Ill., alleged they found evidence that supported the claim that Amy was killed inside the home.

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“Preliminary evidence gathered strongly supports that Amy Finney died from a gunshot wound during a domestic dispute with John at their home,” the release states. The victim’s body is now in the custody of the Perry County Coroner’s office.

John was arrested and is now facing a first-degree murder charge, the sheriff’s office said. He is being held in the Jefferson County Jail while awaiting his pretrial detention hearing. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.