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Man Arrested After Teen Found Dead In Urbana Ditch

Bicyclists discovered a body lying in a ditch in the 3400 block of E. Washington Street in Urbana.

URBANA – Arraignment is scheduled on Monday for a man accused of killing a teenager.

On Friday morning, bicyclists found a body laying in a ditch along East Washington Street in Urbana.

Steven Butler, III of Champaign – picture posted to Missing Persons Awareness Network Facebook page.

The Champaign County Coroner’s office identified the victim as 14-year-old Steven Butler III. His family reported him missing the night before. An autopsy will be conducted on Butler’s family on August 1. 

Hours later, police took 55-year-old Daryl Vandyke into custody.

Lt. Curt Apperson is with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. He says investigators searched Vandyke’s residence in Champaign.

“Basically after executing a search warrant, we located evidence on the property which ultimately lead to charging him with first degree murder,” said Apperson.

So far, police are not saying the motive or how the teen was killed.

Daryl Vandyke booking photo from Champaign County Correctional Center

Vandyke is in the Champaign County Jail, held on$2,000,000 dollars bail. He faces arraignment Monday afternoon.

Officers say the suspect and victim knew each other.

Picture of Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director for the Illinois Newsroom. He started at WILL in October of 2019 after serving as News Director for WKAR in East Lansing, Michigan. Previously, he was a news producer and manager at the NBC station in Dallas, where he won 7 Emmy awards. Born in Vietnam, Reginald is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsWILL

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