DCFS Investigator Murdered at Home Visit
Deidre Silas, pictured in 2011, had worked for DCFS since last year.
The murder of a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator shook state government and offered a grim reminder of the dangers faced by investigators and staff as they enter potentially dangerous homes on a daily basis.
Deidre Silas, 36, was killed at a home in the small community of Thayer, located in southern Sangamon County.
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Benjamin H. Reed, 32, who lived at the home in the 300 block of West Elm Street where Silas was stabbed, was taken into custody just before 6:30 p.m. after being located by Decatur police at St. Mary's Hospital.
Thayer, a village of about 700 people, is 22 miles southwest of Springfield on Illinois 4. It is on the southern tip of Sangamon County.
Reed has been formally charged with the murder of Silas, said Sangamon County state's attorney Dan Wright. Reed was expected to be formally arraigned in Sangamon County court Thursday morning.
AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said Silas was responding to a report of children in danger, though authorities at a news conference Wednesday didn't expressly address the nature of the call.
"We are heartbroken at the loss," Lynch said.
Sangamon County Central dispatch received a 911 call about the incident at approximately 4:11 p.m. Tuesday. Police personnel from Pawnee, Auburn and Divernon first responded to the scene, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said.
Campbell confirmed that six children, ages 1 to 7, were present at the home when the stabbing occurred. Campbell said he couldn't confirm that they witnessed anything.
Campbell said he didn't know if any of the children were Reed's.
Other people were present at the home as well, Campbell said, though he didn't know how many.
Campbell said all of the children were safe and were in DCFS protective custody.
Our prayers are with her family, friends, and colleagues.