Ashland IL Murder-suicide – Four people—including the suspect—were slain following a horrific shooting spree in Ashland, Illinois, on Thursday night. Another person is hospitalized with potentially fatal wounds. Devron Ohrn, the Cass County Sheriff, didn’t need to conduct extensive research to determine the cause of the shootings once he saw the names of the victims and the person he believed was responsible.
EMS was summoned to a dilapidated rural house west of Springfield on Thursday night to assist a person who had been shot in the stomach, according to investigators. When first responders arrived, they discovered 19-year-old Autumn Bell dead from a gunshot wound. Bell posted a photo of herself and her partner celebrating the birth of their first kid on social media last month. The ultrasound that produced the image was performed.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise money for the funeral. “This family has experienced an unfathomable tragedy.” Chrissy, Alaria, Autumn, and an unborn child were cruelly shot and killed on December 14, 2023. The family is in need of this community’s and the surrounding communities’ unwavering support as they assist in burying these three exquisite souls. Below, I’ll provide the Cass County Sheriff’s Department news release.
Another man who had been shot was discovered by the police; his wounds were considered life-threatening, and he was sent to the hospital. When the police arrived, Eliana Bell, 16, and Christina Bell, 53, were also discovered dead.
The killers, according to the police, are Ronald “Butch” Cobren Jr., 62. The longtime resident of Ashland was a retired US mail carrier. He was reportedly Christina Bell’s new fiancé, according to Facebook posts from the two of them and their pals. Police discovered Cobren’s automobile at North Main and Oak Street in adjacent Jacksonville, Illinois, and stopped it for speeding not long after discovering bodies in two different locations.
The person they believed had shot someone was found dead in their car, according to the police. The individual had taken a self-shot. The case required the participation of police from several counties: Menard, Cass, Pleasant Plains, Beardstown, and Ashland. These included the Menard County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois State Police Patrol, the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Division, and Zone 4 Investigations of the Illinois State Police.
The Story
On December 14, 2023, the Ashland Police Department, Beardstown Police Department, Beardstown EMS, and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to 308 Philadelphia Road (Rural) Ashland, IL for a male subject who had been shot. They also called in the Pleasant Plains Police Department and the Illinois State Police. Upon their arrival, Ashland Police Department officers and Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered a deceased female and a male with a gunshot wound at the residence.
The male victim received medical attention from deputies until EMS arrived. Based on information provided by the male victim, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland Police, and Beardstown Police responded to a residence in Ashland, IL, where they found the bodies of two additional female victims. The preliminary inquiry resulted in the identification of a suspect and a suspicious car.
The suspicious car was soon located and stopped by the Jacksonville Police Department on North Main and Oak Street in Jacksonville. Inside the car, the suspect was found suffering from what seemed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The male suspect was immediately pronounced deceased by the Morgan County Coroner’s Office. With severe injuries, the surviving male victim was sent to a local hospital.
The inquiry is now ongoing. Illinois State Police Zone 4 Investigations, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Division, Illinois State Police Patrol, Ashland Police Department, Beardstown Police Department, Pleasant Plains Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and Menard County Sheriff’s Office were the police departments that were involved in the case. In your prayers and thoughts, please remember the families and communities impacted by these atrocities. There will be more information available this afternoon.