MT. VERNON, IL — A 32-year-old Kentucky man was taken into custody and four children listed in an Amber Alert as endangered were rescued Friday night when Mt. Vernon, IL Police responded to a report of a fight in progress.
Upon the arrival of MVPD officers around 9:30 Friday night to the Mach 1 gas station on 42nd Street, they were able to separate the two male subjects involved in the reported fight. However, one of the males would not cooperate with officers and began resisting commands leading to him being taken into custody. Officers began an investigation of the incident and became aware of a vehicle in the parking lot that was reportedly driven by the male already in custody. After running the registration, law enforcement learned of the Amber Alert posting on the vehicle that house four endangered children and was possibly being driven by a murder suspect from Bardstown, KY. The driver of the vehicle/person in custody initially provided false information regarding his identity to officers. Officers were able to continue their investigation and determine the male was actually Richard S. Gray who was wanted on a Kentucky warrant for his arrest charging him with First Degree Murder and Unlawful Imprisonment. Bond on that warrant is $500,000.
During a search of Gray while taking him into custody, officers located a loaded, stolen handgun on his person. The children were located safe in the vehicle and transported to the Mt Vernon Police Department. The Division of Children and Family Services responded to the PD to assist in returning the children to family. According to Bardstown Police, Gray murdered his girlfriend around 5p.m. Friday and left the victim’s residence with the four boys. A neighbor told police they witnessed Gray take the four children, load them in a Jeep and flee the scene. Gray’s relationship with the children is unknown at this time.
Detectives from the Bardstown Police Department traveled to Mt. Vernon where detectives from the Mt. Vernon Police Department and the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted them with the investigation. In addition to the charges from Kentucky, charges against Gray for Resisting/Obstructing Arrest, Obstructing Identification, Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Criminal Damage to Property and Aggravated Battery are pending in Jefferson County, IL.
Gray is being held in the Jefferson County Justice Center.