Sheriff breaks his silence on investigation into death of Mt Carroll man

CARROLL Co., Ill. (KWQC) – Carroll County Sheriff Ryan Kloepping is breaking his silence on the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Jackson Kradle.

The sheriff released a lengthy written statement Thursday evening, more than three months after Kradle was found dead on the side of the road in Mt Carroll.

“I would like to publicly express my sincere condolences to the Kradle family,” said Kloepping. “Our office continues to extend condolences to the family and friends and we are saddened by the loss of Jackson. We are also disappointed at how long it is taking to find a resolution in this case.”

According to the statement:

Carroll County dispatchers received a 911 call at 3:33 a.m. July 28 from an off-duty employee reporting a body in the roadway of Illinois Route 78 south of Lowden Road.

At this time, an off-duty deputy and an off-duty dispatcher, who is also a paramedic, were on scene.

An on-duty deputy and a city officer who was closer to the scene were dispatched to the scene. Two Illinois State Police troopers also responded to the scene at 3:45 a.m. Shortly thereafter, the Illinois State Police Criminal Investigation Division responded to the scene.

Kloepping said it is common practice for detectives to respond to all unattended or suspicious deaths in Carroll County. This team can handle the cases with the right training, knowledge and equipment.

The sheriff, chief deputy and a detective were also on scene. The person who reported the incident has already been released from the scene.

The Carroll County Coroner was contacted to respond at 5:14 a.m. while detectives were still examining the crime scene for possible evidence.

The person on the roadway did not have identification on him and employees on scene did not know who he was. On-site personnel suggested a possible identity and determined it was inaccurate.

The body was removed from the scene by the coroner's office.

Kloepping contacted the Mt Carroll Fire Chief and he responded to the scene and conducted a washdown of the roadway.

The road was then opened to traffic and police went to the funeral home to meet with the coroner. Their main focus at the time was determining who the person should be who should properly notify the family.

Additional law enforcement agencies responded from Rockford with equipment that could help identify the body.

Officers were at the funeral home when a call came in reporting a car accident. Officers responded to the crash to determine if there was a possible connection to the investigation.

The crash was eventually determined to be a separate incident and unrelated.

A short time later, officers identified Jackson.

Kloepping then visited the homes of Jackson's father and mother.

Deputies interviewed others present to hopefully assist in the investigation.

After leaving the families' homes, responders met at the first crime scene on Illinois Route 78 to discuss how they would proceed with the investigation.

Deputies decided next steps would include interviewing the two employees who reported the incident.

Because of the possible conflict of interest, Kloepping called the Illinois State Police and asked their investigative unit to look into the case.

The officers shared the details of the case with them and asked them to handle the incident as the investigation continues.

The next day, Kloepping, the chief deputy and a detective met with the two employees who reported the incident. They were placed on administrative leave and informed of an internal investigation, the statement said.

Kloepping said that as members of the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, the employees are granted certain rights and are given a meeting time for an interrogation within 48 hours.

That process is guided by Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council guidelines and gives them ample time to be represented if they wish, he said.

Kloepping said on July 31, shortly before the interrogation, that both employees had resigned from their positions.

He added that the case was being reviewed by the Illinois State Attorney General's Office and referred all questions to that office.

On Aug. 5, Illinois State Police Special Agent Matt Kipping said a “person of interest” had been identified in the case.

The KWQC team has obtained a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) back containing the names of the two now-former employees who reported the incident. TV6 has decided not to mention her by name at this time as there are no charges.

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