SPREE KILLING~Does Nicholas Sheley Fit the Profile?

What is SPREE KILLING? The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics describes it as "killings at two or more locations with almost no break between murders." In other words..killing as many people as possible in as short a time as possible. Nicholas Sheley may fit the profile with eight people thought to have fallen at his hand.

What do we know about Nicholas Sheley? He's 28 and from Sterling Illinois. He has been in and out of trouble since he was a juvenile. From possession of marijuana to domestic battery to aggravated battery, Nicholas Sheley is no stranger to trouble or the police. He spent 3 years in prison, from 2000-2003 and 17 months on parole for aggravated robbery.

What made Nicholas Sheley join the ranks of spree killing? Some have said that drugs or money might have played a part in the killings. It has been reported that apparently all the victims died of blunt force trauma. An ax was used in 1 or more deaths. This is what linked the crimes of Nicholas Sheley's alleged spree killings. The case can be made that he does fit most of the profile of spree killing people.

Nicholas Sheley is suspected of the following murders in his spree killing:

Russell Reed, 93, of Sterling, Ill.
Brock Branson,29, of Rock Falls
Kenneth Ulve Jr.,25, of Rock Falls
Kilynna Blake, 20, recently moved from Cedar City, Utah
her son Daylan Blake, 2,
Tom and Jill Estes, Arkansas
Ronald Randall, Galesburg, Ill.

Spree killings are usually committed by one person. They usually are done in a 24 hour period and explosive devices are not counted as a spree killing. The top 4 spree killers, according to spreekilling.org, are Woo Bum-Kon of South Korea who killed 57 people with the use of a rifle and grenade. Andrew Keyhoe, who killed 44 people in 1927 in Michigan. He used a rifle, dynamite, pyrotol and a blunt instrument. Martin Bryant, who in 1996 killed 35 people in Australia using a knife and an AR-15 rifle. And Seung-Hui Cho, who in 2007 killed 32 people in Virginia with a Walther P22 and Glock 19.