IL IL - Walter Donley, Peoria, 1 June 1943

[STANDREID]

I don't know what the Shelton presence was in 1943.

 

[STANDREID]

Their home ground was south central IL.

 

[STANDREID]

Principally Williamson County

 

[STANDREID]

I don't know what the Shelton presence was in 1943.

Possibly they were in prison - I don't know for sure.

 

[STANDREID]

According to an article by Norm Kelly, a local historian, Bernie Shelton was apparently in Peoria at the time of Donley's disappearance but he was, by indications, only a minor figure in local crime.

 

[STANDREID]

I would guess the culprits were inexperienced "boys" brought into town to do the job.

 

[STANDREID]

The motive is even a harder guess.

 

[STANDREID]

I haven't heard any suggestions that it was domestic so the general motive had to be that he made the wrong person mad.

 

[STANDREID]

I've heard that Peoria was considered an open town back then; meaning that mob organizations could operate here but none was supposed to try to take control.

Sorta like Vegas

 

[STANDREID]

I haven't heard any suggestions that it was domestic so the general motive had to be that he made the wrong person mad.

I suppose random is a possibility although extremely unlikely in my view.

 

[STANDREID]

I suppose random is a possibility although extremely unlikely in my view.

The same could be said about robbery.

 

[STANDREID]

More than likely, he was killed either because of something he did or something he knew.

 

[STANDREID]

It's puzzling how he could have been taken and the body disposed of, presumably in broad daylight, and no-one saw anything except some guys parking his car.

 

[STANDREID]

I can only think of two good reasons why there would be a need to ditch his car. Either it was used in the crime or Donley had driven it to a place that would incriminate someone and it needed to be moved away from there..

 

[STANDREID]

I don't think there was any evidence that his body was kept in the car, not his dead body anyway.

 

[STANDREID]

There was a conspiracy of some sort almost assuredly because two guys were seen ditching the car.

 

[STANDREID]

The question is, why ditch the car in a place where it would be immediately noticed?

 

[Marilynilpa]

The question is, why ditch the car in a place where it would be immediately noticed?

The obvious answer is "because they wanted it to be found." Of course, that begs the questiion "why"?

By the way, I enjoy your posts even though I seldom have much to add.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[STANDREID]

I agree unless they just panicked and weren't thinking.

 

[STANDREID]

Of course, the perps may have been well out of town before anyone knew that Donley was missing or that this was his car.