Prosecutor: Woman wielded knives, hammers, revolver; men unharmed

~ Two men, including the boyfriend of the suspect, were able to wrestle the weapons away.

ANNA, Ill. -- A Union County woman stands accused of using knives, hammers and a revolver to attack her live-in boyfriend during a fight early Sunday in Anna.

Cathy L. McKee, 48, of Anna, appeared in court Monday and will face a June 6 preliminary hearing, Union County State's Attorney Allen James said.

No one was hurt in McKee's attacks, which sent boyfriend Ruel A. Lingle, 60, and Joel Ralls, who was asleep at the time, fleeing from the home, James said.

McKee and Lingle had apparently been drinking at Bob's Tavern in downtown Anna earlier, James said. Lingle left the bar and walked home.

According to a news release from James, Lingle "awoke in his bed with his paramour Cathy L. McKee sitting straddle of him holding two knives in the air stating that she was going to kill him."

Lingle wrestled the knives away and fled the bedroom, James said.

As he was trying to dress, James said, McKee attacked him again with two hammers. Once again, Lingle wrested control of the weapons away from McKee, James said.

Ralls, who was asleep in the living room when the fight began, left the home as Lingle ran out after taking the hammers.

"While outside, Mr. Lingle could see that Ms. McKee had obtained a handgun and he hid in the shadows," James wrote in his news release.

McKee fired the gun five times inside the home, he said. Ralls then entered the home, obtained control of the gun and turned it over to Lingle outside.

Lingle then called the Union County Sheriff's Office.

No one was injured in the attacks, James said.

Lingle reported that McKee recently had changed some of her prescription medication, but James said he was unsure whether that had played a role in the attacks.

"When the officers made contact with her, she was verbally nonresponsive, sitting in a corner of the dining room," James said in an interview.

But when officers approached, McKee resisted and officers were forced to subdue her in order to handcuff her, James said.

"They took her to the hospital to check her out, and she was not really cooperative there," James said.

McKee faces six charges in all, James said. She faces a single charge of domestic battery for the struggle over the knives.

McKee is charged with two counts of reckless discharge of a firearm -- one charge for each of the two men who were potential victims as she was firing the revolver. And she is charged with three counts of aggravated assault, one count for each of the three weapons she sought to use.

Bond was set at $7,500.

When officers had her at the hospital, she said very little, James said. "She was not verbal, except to say that she wanted an attorney."

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 126