Mishealia Meredith missing Harrisburg Southern Illinois woman found dead. Alexander McWilliam considered armed and dangerous wanted in her murder.
An Illinois college student who was last seen Friday night and reported missing over the weekend has been found dead, her body riddled with two gunshot wounds.
Mishealia Marie Meredith, 19, of Harrisburg, was found deceased in a farm field in Gallatin County on Sunday. She was found close to North Fork Township, according to Gallatin County Coroner Tony Cox.
Come Wednesday night, Alexander McWilliam, 36, also of Harrisburg, was wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Meredith according to a news release from Illinois State Police.
Meredith, spoke with her mother on Friday night and told her she was on her way home. When Meredith failed to arrive home, her mother called 911. Authorities later located Meredith’s phone in El Dorado, around nine miles or so from her residence the Southern reported.
While assisting the Harrisburg Police Department, investigations led the Illinois State Police to a home in the 800 block of High Street in Eldorado, where they found ‘evidence of a homicide.’
Unknown relationship between murder victim and suspect
Meredith’s body was later found in a remote, agricultural area. Cox reportedly said the closest home to the area was around half a mile. No crime evidence was found in the field.
It remained unclear if the suspect knew Meredith prior to her shooting death. McWilliam who remained at large was considered armed and dangerous according to investigators.
Officials say McWilliam is an African American man that is 5′10 and weighs approximately 215 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
A previous April, 2019 report told of McWilliam being arrested on outstanding warrants of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery. McWilliams was also at the time wanted by the Illinois Department of Corrections for a parole violation.
‘A young, beautiful, and caring soul…’
It remained unclear how McWilliams was linked to Mishealia’s death.
A GoFundMe set up to help fund funeral expenses says, ‘A young, beautiful, and caring soul left Earth too soon at the hands of another.’
‘Mishealia was maliciously murdered after being shot twice,’ the page reads.
Adding, ‘Mishealia did not deserve to die and her family was not prepared to have to deal with burying their baby girl.’
At the time of her death, Meredith was enrolled at Southeastern Illinois College, according to her obituary.
She is from Eldorado but was staying in Harrisburg when she vanished, KFVS reports.
