Man Charged with NIU Student's Murder

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Oct 30, 2010 4:00PM

A 34-year old DeKalb man named William Curl has been charged in the death of NIU student Antinette "Toni" Keller. Curl was a person of interest to the police because he was a frequent visitor to Prairie Park, where Keller's remains were found, and also possibly because he reported a fire in the woods near the park where Keller told her friends she would be.

After the police initially spoke with Curl about the incident, Curl failed to show up to a second interview with the police and left Illinois last Saturday. After stealing his mother's car, Curl drove all the way down into Mexico and police were able to track his whereabouts through his credit card use and police databases. Police arrested Curl in Louisiana after he crossed back into the United States.

Police indicated that Keller and Curl were not previously acquainted with each other in any way before the homicide:

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."

After Curl was arrested in Louisiana, he was extradited back to Illinois and is currently being held on $5 million bail. Curl has been charged with first-degree murder, criminal sexual assault and arson in Keller's death. ABC News also reported that Curl is eligible for the death penalty, and will appear in court next Saturday.