Son, 23, charged in S. Ill. slayings

JONESBORO, Ill. -- A Union County grand jury has indicted a 23-year-old Jonesboro man on two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of his parents last month.

Robert Pitts Jr. is in custody in the Tri-County Detention Center in Ullin, Ill., in lieu of a $1 million bond. He will appear before Union County Circuit Judge Mark M. Boie at 9 a.m. today for his initial appearance.

The indictment, returned Wednesday, states that Pitts killed Robert Pitts Sr., 45, and his wife, Marcia, 43, by shooting them both in the head.

Police discovered the bodies about 7 a.m. Dec. 22 at their 107 N. Acre Lane residence after someone called saying Robert Pitts had not shown up to work that day at his usual time.

Pitts was also indicted Wednesday for a residential burglary that occurred Dec. 19 in Jonesboro. He was arrested Dec. 26 and was in custody at the Tri-County Detention Center on a $250,000 bond for felony theft and felony residential burglary before the murder charges were filed.

Before Pitts' arrest, police subpoenaed his cell phone carriers, banks and credit card companies and searched his personal belongings as part of the murder investigation.

Police searched the residence, yard and a nearby park after the incident but did not find the gun believed to have been used in the shootings.

carel@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127