A 34-year-old DeKalb man has been charged with first-degree murder, criminal sexual assault and arson in the death of Northern Illinois University freshman Antinette "Toni" Keller, DeKalb County authorities said Friday.
William P. Curl, of the 500 block of East Taylor Street, allegedly "caused the death of the victim during the course of committing a criminal sexual assault and during the course of an arson," said State's Attorney John Farrell at a news conference Friday night.
Authorities would not get more specific than that about how Keller died.
Investigators knew of no prior relationship between the victim and the accused, DeKalb police Chief Bill Feithen said.
"This was a gruesome murder, and we believe it was a crime of opportunity," Feithen said. "There is no reason for us to believe there are other victims."
Authorities said that Curl, who was unemployed, frequented the park and so police wanted to talk to him about the crime.
The chief would not comment on Friday's Tribune report that the suspect came to authorities' attention by reporting a fire in the park.
Keller, an 18-year-old art student from Plainfield, told friends on Oct. 14 that she was going to Prairie Park to do some sketching. The friends reported her missing on Oct. 15.
Police later revealed they found badly burned human remains in the park on Oct. 16, near some of Keller's belongings. The remains have not been positively identified.
Police talked to Curl once, Feithen said, but he failed to appear for a second scheduled interview, so authorities began tracking him through credit card use and police databases. He was considered a witness with material information in the case when he left Illinois last Saturday.
Authorities tracked Curl into Mexico, but he recrossed the border and was taken into custody by federal marshals at a motel in Covington, La., where he was looking for work as a day laborer.
Curl was held on charges of obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of a motor vehicle. He is accused of fleeing in a car he stole from his mother.
Curl's preliminary bail was set at $5 million, and he is to appear before a judge Saturday morning.
Keller's family expressed relief but sadness at the arrest.
"It's helpful to know someone's in custody, but it puts deeper layers of reality into it, which is not comforting," Keller's cousin Mary Tarling told the Tribune shortly before the 8 p.m. news conference.
NIU President John Peters offered his condolences in a written statement Friday.
"Toni Keller will forever be in our hearts and will always be a Huskie," he wrote. "May God grant peace and strength to the Keller family, Toni's friends and the NIU/DeKalb community."
Students and parents had criticized police for not releasing much information on the investigation, but Feithen defended that practice.
"It's very difficult for investigators, if the public knows everything, to go out and interview people and identify people who have real information as opposed to individuals who have heard it in the public domain and for whatever reason are just repeating what they have heard," he said.
Curl's neighbor Tierra Bradshaw, 26, said she was surprised to hear that authorities were accusing him of killing Keller.
"It was really shocking," said Bradshaw, who lived down the hall from Curl for about three years at Golden Years Plaza in DeKalb.
"He was a really sweet guy," she said. "Anytime we needed anything, he would help out."
DeKalb County State's Attorney John Farrell (foreground) and DeKalb Police Chief Bill Feithen (white shirt) hold a press conference at City Hall in DeKalb Friday to announce that William P. Curl, (seen at rear on video monitor) has been charged with murder in the Antinette Keller investigation. (Tribune / Terrence Antonio James)
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