Will County Gazette

JOLIET, IL – Will County State’s Attorney James W. Glasgow announced that Deiontae McMillian, 30, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was found guilty late Friday afternoon of First-Degree Murder following a jury trial before Judge Carmen Goodman. Sentencing and post-trial motions are scheduled for October 21, 2024.

On November 12, 2018, at 8:59 a.m., Will County Sheriff’s Police were dispatched to the area of Jefferson Street and Eden Lane in Joliet for a possible death investigation. Upon arrival, deputies spoke to an off-duty Joliet Police officer who reported observing what he believed to be a human body in a hole in the ground while hunting. Deputies found a body placed in a man-made hole that appeared to have been set on fire. The body was wrapped in a bed sheet and blanket confirmed to belong to a motel in South Holland, Illinois.

On November 13, 2018, the Will County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy and ruled the cause of death as manual strangulation.

Trial testimony revealed that detectives made a positive identification of the victim, Danica Ford, age 28, of Fayetteville, NC, based on a tattoo on her body. Detectives verified through family members that the tattoo referenced the deaths of a husband and wife from Kannapolis, NC who passed away in 2003 and 2014.

Initially unable to identify the victim, Will County Sheriff’s Police received assistance from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department in Fayetteville and the Concord Police Department. They interviewed multiple family members of both the victim and defendant and learned that McMillian and Ford were in a relationship sharing a child together. In September 2018, McMillian accepted a job with an insurance firm located in Schaumburg, Illinois. The couple drove together from North Carolina to Illinois in Ford's car.

Police confirmed that McMillian and Ford stayed at a motel in Lansing on November 9, 2018. Detectives identified Ford by her bright green hair weave seen on video surveillance provided by the motel—a critical piece of evidence.

On November 13, police confirmed through witnesses and law enforcement street cameras that McMillian and Ford stayed at another motel in South Holland. Motel employees advised police on November 11 that cleaning personnel discovered all bedding had been taken from their room registered under McMillian's name. The sheets contained an emblem unique to the motel.

On November 20, police traveled to Fayetteville where they spoke with McMillian’s mother who informed them her son called her on November 13 asking for money. On November 16 he arrived unannounced at her home without Ford. When asked about Ford's whereabouts he replied he left her in Chicago.

Approximately three hours after detectives informed McMillian’s mother about Ford's death she provided information regarding Ford's car location and McMillian's whereabouts.

Later that day detectives recovered Ford's car with assistance from Concord Police Department. The vehicle was transported back for crime-scene processing where they found part of Ford's bright green hair weave inside.

On November 21 police obtained an arrest warrant for McMillian for Concealment of Homicide; he was arrested later that day in Fayetteville.

During his interview with police McMillian denied killing Ford but admitted purchasing a shovel at Walmart which he placed into the backseat of her car—a purchase recorded on store surveillance video.

A search warrant executed on his car revealed property belonging to Ford including cosmetics and her North Carolina driver’s license.

McMillian faces mandatory imprisonment between 20-60 years served at full term upon sentencing.

State’s Attorney Glasgow commended assistant state’s attorneys Erin Krone Mark Fleszewski Amanda Tasker victim-witness advocate Jessica Gill administrative professionals Sharon Monson Traci Knutson Det Kimberly Topolewski officers from Fayetteville County Concord Police Department along with IT Specialist Albert Bailey for their dedication leading up to this conviction.

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