IL The Dardeen Family - Ruby, Keith, Pete, & newborn, Ina, Nov. 1987.

[cnmccarthy]

I was so surprised to not see a thread for them. I hope it’s not because of family wishes and that I may be stepping on any toes. I will report this new post to make sure that isn’t the case.

[…]“Keith failed to show up for work for his night shift, and nobody could reach his family. Concerned, his parents contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and headed south with a key to the trailer. Police met them at the scene. Keith’s car was missing, and they went inside. What they found was indescribable.

Elaine was sexually mutilated and bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat. So was her son Peter. Baby Casey, due in two months, arrived during the beatings. She too, was beaten to death. There was no sign of Keith. […] <MORE AT LINK>

Many people believe that the serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was involved but I don’t know if I agree.

<modsnip> I just don’t see how any of his family would’ve allowed Tommy through the door (there were no signs of forced entry). They had even put their house up for sale to move to a safer area.

<modsnip: not approved sources>
Gruesome murder of an Illinois family remains unsolved as the main suspect is executed

 

[cnmccarthy]

Here are some more news articles about the case.

Unsolved murder still haunts Tri-State family two decades later.

13-YEAR VIGIL OF FEAR EASES IN ILLINOIS TOWN

I have no comfort with this guy," she said of Sells through teary eyes. "I am absolutely terrified. My husband says, `Why are you afraid? He's in jail.' Well, then why am I so nervous?"

It could be because local investigators had never heard of Sells before his confession. They had even warned family members not to be surprised if one of their own was responsible.

Heartland Unsolved: Never Forget.

The unspeakable brutality of the crimes immediately raised questions about a possible cult-related attack. Investigators quickly ruled that out, along with robbery, since there was no forced entry to the trailer and nothing missing.

 

[Richard]

The Dardeen Family: Elaine, Keith, and Peter. 1987



LINKS:

Ruby Elaine Cowling Dardeen (1957-1987) - Find a...

Ruby Elaine Dardeen, 30, Ina, and formerly of Albion, died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1987. Private services will be 2 p.m. Saturday in the Olive Congregational Christian Church in Albion. There will be no visitation. Mrs. Dardeen was born Aug. 10, 1957, in Fairfield, the daughter of Lee and Inez...

www.findagrave.com

The Dardeen Family Murders • Morbidology

The name “Dardeen” resonates with the residents of Ina, Southern Illinois, who think back to a gruesome quadruple murder that took place in their sleepy hamlet in the late 1980s. Life in Ina was simple. There was a store, a gas station, a firehouse, a bank, a post office and little all else. But...

morbidology.com

The Chilling Mystery Behind The Dardeen Family Murders - Grunge

Quiet life in Ina, Illinois, was irreversibly changed in 1987 when Keith and Elaine Dardeen, their son Peter, and their newborn child were murdered.

www.grunge.com

Unsolved Murders: Dardeen family and Joel Kirkpatrick

The unsolved murders of the four members of the Dardeen family in 1987 as well as the murder of Joel Kirkpatrick in 1997 are still unsolved.

www.14news.com

 

[cnmccarthy]

The Dardeen Family: Elaine, Keith, and Peter. 1987



LINKS:

Ruby Elaine Cowling Dardeen (1957-1987) - Find a...

Ruby Elaine Dardeen, 30, Ina, and formerly of Albion, died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1987. Private services will be 2 p.m. Saturday in the Olive Congregational Christian Church in Albion. There will be no visitation. Mrs. Dardeen was born Aug. 10, 1957, in Fairfield, the daughter of Lee and Inez...

www.findagrave.com

The Dardeen Family Murders • Morbidology

The name “Dardeen” resonates with the residents of Ina, Southern Illinois, who think back to a gruesome quadruple murder that took place in their sleepy hamlet in the late 1980s. Life in Ina was simple. There was a store, a gas station, a firehouse, a bank, a post office and little all else. But...

morbidology.com

The Chilling Mystery Behind The Dardeen Family Murders - Grunge

Quiet life in Ina, Illinois, was irreversibly changed in 1987 when Keith and Elaine Dardeen, their son Peter, and their newborn child were murdered.

www.grunge.com

Unsolved Murders: Dardeen family and Joel Kirkpatrick

The unsolved murders of the four members of the Dardeen family in 1987 as well as the murder of Joel Kirkpatrick in 1997 are still unsolved.

www.14news.com

Thank you so much!!

 

[cckp72]

I was so surprised to not see a thread for them. I hope it’s not because of family wishes and that I may be stepping on any toes. I will report this new post to make sure that isn’t the case.

[…]“Keith failed to show up for work for his night shift, and nobody could reach his family. Concerned, his parents contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and headed south with a key to the trailer. Police met them at the scene. Keith’s car was missing, and they went inside. What they found was indescribable.

Elaine was sexually mutilated and bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat. So was her son Peter. Baby Casey, due in two months, arrived during the beatings. She too, was beaten to death. There was no sign of Keith. […] <MORE AT LINK>

Many people believe that the serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was involved but I don’t know if I agree.

<modsnip> I just don’t see how any of his family would’ve allowed Tommy through the door (there were no signs of forced entry). They had even put their house up for sale to move to a safer area.

<modsnip: not approved sources>
Gruesome murder of an Illinois family remains unsolved as the main suspect is executed

Thank you so much for making a thread about this family. This is one case that truly keeps me up at night.

I wonder if testing DNA has been done since advancements in DNA have been made.

I agree I don't believe it to be the serial killer, it seems way too brutally personal.

The Dardeens deserve justice even if the perp is deceased.

 

[morf13]

If you want to share your thoughts, and theories on the Dardeen case, join us live tonight March 5, at 9PM Eastern as we discuss the case on the Citizen Detective Podcast.
Our panel includes a retired homicide detective, a DNA lab director, and a criminologist.

Join live via our Facebook homepage:
Citizen Detective Podcast

or in our Facebook group:
Citizen Detective Podcast Discussion | Facebook

On Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSgvqIuf4-sEF2aDdNGip2w

On Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CitizenDPod

You can also leave us a voicemail that we may play on the air
Send a voice message to citizendetective

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Keith's friend Kevin Harris — who was the best man at the couple's wedding — told KFVS-12, that Keith and Elaine were "two of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet.”

“They were such loving, caring people,” Harris added. “It’s hard to imagine how somebody can do something like this.”

Years later, serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells claimed he was responsible for the murders, but he was reportedly known to falsely confess to multiple crimes across the U.S., and the Dardeen family murder is still considered unsolved. In 2014, Sells was executed for murdering a 13-year-old girl.

Kieth's mother, Joeann Dardeen, told KFVS-12 in 2019 that she'll never give up searching for her son and his family's killer.

"[Investigators] told us in the beginning that we need to keep the story out there," Joeann told the outlet. "We need to keep it going."

A Couple and Their 2-Year-Old Son Were Brutally Murdered — More Than 30 Years Later, The Case Is Still Unsolved

Russell Keith Dardeen and Ruby Elaine Dardeen shared a 3-year-old son named Peter and had another child on the way in 1987. In November of that year, the young married couple, who both went by their middle names, were brutally beaten and murdered along with their son.

people.com

 

[Tricia]

This case is terrifying. It needs attention. Does anyone think serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was responsible? He might be and maybe DNA testing will prove it or disprove it. He did confess to killing the Dardeen family but that could be true or he could be lying.
When I recently read up on this case I literally couldn't sleep. It is so scary and to think the killer may still be out there is what chills me to the bone.

 

[morf13]

This case is terrifying. It needs attention. Does anyone think serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was responsible? He might be and maybe DNA testing will prove it or disprove it. He did confess to killing the Dardeen family but that could be true or he could be lying.
When I recently read up on this case I literally couldn't sleep. It is so scary and to think the killer may still be out there is what chills me to the bone.

Hey Tricia, hope you are well. I don't think Sells is to blame. This will turn out to be something personal. There is some real anger or hate here, one of the strangest cases I have ever researched, I've covered it on a couple of podcasts.

I am thinking/hoping, that the offender(s) left DNA behind that will one day solve this. But at the time of the murders, collecting and preserving DNA wasn't something that was done. That doesn't mean that some piece of evidence wasn't collected that will have DNA

 

[Tricia]

Hey Tricia, hope you are well. I don't think Sells is to blame. This will turn out to be something personal. There is some real anger or hate here, one of the strangest cases I have ever researched, I've covered it on a couple of podcasts.

I am thinking/hoping, that the offender(s) left DNA behind that will one day solve this. But at the time of the murders, collecting and preserving DNA wasn't something that was done. That doesn't mean that some piece of evidence wasn't collected that will have DNA

morf13 good to see you!
Yeah, I don't think Sells committed this crime. Thinking about the horror the family went through makes me literally sick to my stomach.
Do you know if Sells ever killed a whole family? He confessed to a bunch of killings but was only charged with two. Looking through the cases, he confessed to the closest I could see was a mother and child.
Keith Dardeen's mother used to believe Sells did it then she changed her mind I believe.

 

[cckp72]

This case is terrifying. It needs attention. Does anyone think serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was responsible? He might be and maybe DNA testing will prove it or disprove it. He did confess to killing the Dardeen family but that could be true or he could be lying.
When I recently read up on this case I literally couldn't sleep. It is so scary and to think the killer may still be out there is what chills me to the bone.

I agree with you Trisha, this case needs more attention. It is horrific and this little family needs justice! What could we do to bring more attention to it?

 

[annemc2]

It's wild how this thread is only at one page! And very interesting to see these recent posts, as I was just watching something that attributed this crime to Sells and it was very matter-of-fact. I think that it was a video about a girl that escaped an attack and ultimately testified against Sells in court. Her best friend, who was in the room with her, was killed. I was surprised that I'd never heard that the Dardeen case had been "solved" so it's interesting to read this here!

 

[dub]

I really don’t know what I think with this case, either in terms of Sells or in general.

Sells seems like a decent suspect, but I don’t know what to make of his statements/confessions because to me some of them have the ring of truth, but others sound like total BS.

I do think he could have been responsible, but I kinda lean away from it mostly because to me it feels like there were two or possibly three perps.

Also rather than “personal”, this screams “tweaker” to me—although it could for sure be both at the same time.

The level of violence is so far off the scale that if it wasn’t a serial killer (Sells or otherwise) there was a very unusual driving force here, that’s the one thing in this case I feel sure of.

 

[333_OnlyHalfEvil]

I have so many questions about this case! I am going to ask some potentially offensive questions about this case, not to be offensive myself, but from an objective viewpoint.

Does anyone know what time of day they were murdered approximately?

Were there any local rumors about either Keith or Elaine? I know they found no evidence of an affair, but could either of them have had a same sex encounter that might have gone undetected? Back in 1987, that would have still been very embarrassing to disclose to police, family and friends. Does Keith ping anyone's gaydar, or is it impossible to tell enough from just photos? Keeping in mind that his mustache was common at the time, thanks to Magnum PI on tv.

Even if one (or both) were bi or gay, that still wouldn't explain what happened to them. Who would get so angry over them that they would kill not only the person they're mad it, but also the babies? That's such a huge sticking point. I can't imagine any woman doing that to a newborn. I hope so much that Elaine was instantly incapacitated by a blow to the head and didn't have to witness the rest. Even the Mafia usually draw the line at hurting babies. You have to be a special kind of evil to do that.

They look like such an average couple, they don't stand out in any way in their pictures. They were not fashionable for the time, and they were pretty well matched in attractiveness. He was a decent sized guy for the time, which makes their tiny car interesting to me. Why hadn't they upgraded vehicles, with a 4th member of the family almost ready to join them? Did they have money problems? Was he thrifty or was he super cheap and had stiffed someone somewhere and they wanted revenge? Even then, who would take that out on the kids?

What were their personalities like? Were they outgoing or introverted? Did they have couple friends to hang out with or did they mostly keep to themselves? What did their coworkers say about them? Did they have a regular babysitter or did they work opposite shifts and watch Peter themselves? Did they only have the one vehicle?

I don't believe Sells did it. He would have taken credit for 9/11 and Pearl Harbor if he thought he could gain some more street cred by doing so.

If another psycho had just happened on them and took the opportunity, would he have been able to easily find the trailer and the field Keith was dumped in, or would a local be a more likely suspect?