Grand jury indicts two on murder charges

A Union County grand jury has indicted two Southern Illinois men in connection with the death of a rural Dongola man in October.

Union County State’s Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds said that on Nov. 17, the grand jury returned indictments against Michael S. Ellis, 26, of Elkville, and Tommy E. Reams, 27, of Dowell.

Ellis and Reams each face one count of first degree murder and one count of home invasion, a Class X felony, in connection with the death of Gerald Dziczkowski.

The victim was found dead in his home on the evening of Oct. 22.

Ellis and Reams allegedly entered Dziczkowski’s residence at 250 Kimber Rd., where they bound the victim with duct tape and electrical cord, hit him with an air gun pistol, and repeatedly kicked and punched him, causing his death.

The two suspects are being held on $2 million  bond each. Each man was scheduled to appear Monday, Nov. 23, in Union County Circuit Court in Jonesboro.

Charges against Reams and Ellis were handed down following an extensive investigation by the Union County and Jackson County sheriffs’ departments’ investigation units and Illinois State Police Zone 7 Investigations.