(Right) Homicide victim – Abby Neisler – age 24
Springfield, Illinois – Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright and the Springfield Police Department announced today that Ronald D. Porter, age 32, of Springfield, has been charged with 23 felony counts arising from a series of incidents which occurred between August, 2019 and January, 2020.
Prior to the charges filed today, Porter was arrested by the Springfield Police Department on February 4, 2020 following formal charges by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office for a series of aggravated robberies committed in January and February, 2020. He has remained in the custody of the Sangamon County Jail on bond in the amount of $250,000. Among the most recent charges, Porter is alleged to have stalked a woman and entered her home in the 700 block of S. State Street in Springfield in the late hours of January 10, 2020 and into January 11, 2020. Porter allegedly sexually assaulted the victim and stabbed her multiple times, causing her death. He then allegedly lit the residence on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence and conceal the homicidal nature of the victim’s death. Porter has been charged with the following additional felony offenses related to the above incident:
1) Three counts of First Degree Murder;
2) Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault;
3) Home Invasion;
4) Armed Robbery;
5) Residential Arson;
6) Aggravated Stalking;
7) Aggravated Cruelty to an Animal;
8) Concealment of a Homicidal Death;
9) Obstructing Justice; and 10) Unlawful Use of a Credit Card
Porter was also charged with stalking a second woman in January, 2020. Further charges filed today include offenses related to separate allegations of criminal conduct which occurred in October, 2019. These charges include Home Invasion, Attempted Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, and Aggravated Robbery which arise from allegations that Porter forcibly entered the residence of a third woman while masked and attempted to commit a sexual assault. Additionally, Porter and his wife, Whitney M. Porter, age 32, are charged with Residential Arson, Arson, Insurance Fraud, and Obstructing Justice related to a deliberate fire set to their joint apartment in October, 2019 to obtain over $10,000 from a fraudulent insurance claim. Whitney Porter faces 4 to 15 years in prison if convicted of Residential Arson, 3 to 7 years in prison if convicted of Arson and Insurance Fraud, and 1 to 3 years in prison if convicted of Obstructing Justice. Each charge is concurrent and Whitney Porter faces a total of up to 15 years in prison if convicted of each offense charged. Ronald Porter has also been charged with Aggravated Robbery and Financial Institution Robbery arising from an August, 2019 robbery of the United Community Bank branch located at 2120 Peoria Road in Springfield. If convicted of each of the above charges, Ronald Porter faces between 50 years to natural life in prison. Ronald Porter has been in the custody of the Sangamon County Jail since February 4, 2020 facing five counts of Aggravated Robbery and Attempted Aggravated Robbery. The Court granted Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright’s bond recommendation in the amount of $5 million and Ronald Porter remains in the custody of the Sangamon County Jail. Whitney Porter was arrested this afternoon by the Springfield Police Department and is in the custody of the Sangamon County Jail on bond in the amount of $150,000. Arraignment of both Ronald and Whitney Porter is anticipated to occur tomorrow at 11:00.
Sangamon County State’s Attorney, Dan Wright, said “The comprehensive set of charges filed today against Ronald Porter is the product of tireless and methodical investigation by the Springfield Police Department. SPD Detectives and the Illinois State Police Crime Lab carefully worked every angle of multiple related investigations to gather evidence sufficient to prove these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. I will do everything within my power to secure justice for the victims and their families.”
The investigations are ongoing and no additional information is available for release at this time. Anyone with information concerning these incidents is asked to call the Springfield Police Department (217) 788-8311 and/or Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers (217) 788-8427.