On June 1, 1974, 13 year old Frances Buckner, a resident of Creal Springs, was spending time in Marion with her father, Robert Buckner, who lived on the Public Square. They decided to walk down E. Main Street to Small’s Market at 1005 E. Main to buy milk. Frances outpaced her father who had health issues and was last seen about a half a block from Small’s. She wasn’t seen again until five nights later.
Her nude body was found lying in the street in the 500 block of E. Marion Street around 11 p.m. under a street light. Someone had thrown a rock through a local resident’s window to alert them of her presence.
Clues quickly led police to John Bilyew, 20, who was detained and later pled guilty to the crime. Bilyew was born in California and had spent time in institutions both here at the A.L. Bowen Center for Children in Harrisburg and in California. He lived at 613 ½ E. Main Street near his grandmother, who did his cooking and housecleaning for him.
Bilyew had previously been a regular on the Public Square and worked as a dishwasher at the Uptowner Restaurant in 1973, but lost his job when charges were filed against him related to trying to lure young girls into the Orpheum Theater which had just been shut down for safety reasons. An attempt was also made in 1973 to have him committed to the Anna State Hospital but unfortunately, it didn’t materialize.
A trial was held in March 1975 and in early April he was sentenced to 50-100 years in prison for murder and 1 to 3 years for concealment of a homicide.
Marion Man, 20, Held in Death of Girl, 13, Southern Illinoisan, June 6, 1974
Charges of murder, rape and concealing a homicidal death were filed today against John William Bilyew, 20, of Marion, in the death of 13 year old Frances Buckner.
The nude body of the Creal Springs girl was found at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday dumped in the street. A rock was thrown through the window of Essie Byrn, 514 E. Marion St., to attract attention to it.
Williamson County State’s Attorney Robert Howerton said today Bilyew is charged with raping the girl and then manually strangling her.
Bilyew was arrested about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the home of Roy and Caroline Cox of 107 N. Lillian St. in Marion. Mrs. Cox is Bilyew’s grandmother. Bilyew offered no resistance.
Arresting officers were Marion Police Chief L.B. Hunter; Marin Investigator Roger Rich; William Henshaw, an investigator for the Sheriff’s office; and Roland Brown, investigator for the State’s Attorney’s office.
Howerton said the girl’s clothing was “a portion of the investigation that led to the arrest.”
He said there were marks of the strangulation on the girl. Officials Wednesday said there were no marks so as “not to alarm the people,” Howerton said.
The girl was last seen Saturday afternoon. She and her father Robert Buckner of 1000 Public Square, Marion, were walking to Small’s Market at 1005 E. Main St. to buy milk.
Buckner, who suffers from emphysema and a bad back said he had to stop to rest and the girl proceeded on to the store alone.
He said he saw Frances walk to within about a half-block of the store. Bilyew’s home is at the rear of a lot in the 600 block of Main street and about one block north of the street where the body was found.
Bilyew, formerly a cook at the Uptowner Restaurant, lived alone. He has a rabbit hutch outside his home. The girl reportedly liked rabbits. An uncle of the girl worked as a mechanic at Karr-Barnfield Motors, which was formerly located on the north side of the street from Bilyew’s home.
Howerton declined to comment on evidence and facts of the investigation because he will call a grand jury Friday and present the case for indictment. He said Bilyew will be tried within 120 days. Howerton said about 20 officers worked night and day in the investigation and he commended their work and the quick arrest.
He would not comment on whether Bilyew has admitted or denied the charges or whether Bilyew also was the person placing the body on the street. He did say no other person is involved in the charges.
Howerton declined to comment on previous charges against Bilyew.
Howerton said today he will recommend no bail for Bilyew at a preliminary hearing expected this afternoon, Bilyew is held in the county jail…by O.R. Wiley of the Southern Illinoisan
Slain Girl, Shy but Friendly, Southern Illnoisan, June 6, 1974
“A lovable child.” That is how Principal Guy Peterson remembers Frances Buckner, 13, whose body was found in Marion Tuesday night after she had been missing three days.
Peterson, principal of Creal Springs School, where Brances finished fifth grade Friday, said, “So much of the time you know students only by their records, but I had no trouble right off putting the name and face together.”
“It wasn’t for academic achievement or for conduct reprimands. It was for her friendliness. That’s what impressed me the most about her.”
“She would speak and smile every time she met you. She always asked, “How are you?” she might show you something new she had, such as a pencil.”
Peterson said Frances was “one who tried quite hard” in the classroom. Because of hearing problems she was placed in the front seats of classrooms. She was a slow learner and had been held back several grades.
Three weeks ago Frances had an operation at Herrin Hospital and plastic tubes were placed in her ear canals to open them. Peterson said he is “sure there would have been a change in the future years” in her scholastic work.
Peterson said while Frances was timid by nature and naïve to a certain degree “she did not see too many strangers as far as speaking to them is concerned.”
He said perhaps because of her hearing problem in the past, she “could entertain herself to a greater degree compared to other children. If she was accepted by a group, that was all right, if she was not accepted by a group, that was all right.”
The Rev. Fred Beckett, her minister, said he got to know Frances well when she attended an Assembly of God summer camp at Carlinville.
“She was a pleasant girl, perhaps a little on the shy side. Not in the sense everyone was a stranger but in that she was not forward, not a pushy type,” he said.
The Rev. Mr. Beckett said Frances helped him and the church janitor clean and pick up the church.
“I noticed around the camp that to a stranger she was not quick to offer help. If she knew you she would just about do anything for you,” he said.
The Rev. Mr. Beckett said Frances “fit right in” at the camp. She swam, played tennis and hiked “but not as much as the other children. During recreation periods she spent more time around the counselors helping them. She spent more time around the altar and attending services than others.”
He said Frances, since the camp was more open hearted, wanted to learn religious matters and had attended Sunday School regularly the last few months at the Assembly of God church in Creal Springs.
“She was sincere and dedicated,” he said.
Blaine Ozment, her stepfather, said Frances liked to swim. Last summer the family hardly missed a night swimming at the nearby Lake of Egypt but Frances had not yet gon swimming this year, because of the ear operation. She was looking forward to it.
“She liked to swim and watch television as much as anything. She liked Cactus Pete and programs like that,” Ozment said.
Shocked Creal Springs residents have “been real nice” since her death was learned. Ozment said townspeople have come to offer consolation and bring food for the family…..by O.R. Wiley, Southern Illinoisan
Man Admitted Killing Girl, Detective Testified, Southern Illinoisan, June 13, 1974
John William Bilyew, 20, of Marion, has admitted he killed 13 year old Frances Buckner, a Marion police detective testified in court today.
Detective Mike Wiseman testified in a preliminary hearing that he showed a picture of the Creal Springs girl to Bilyew during an interrogation on June 5 and that Bilyew said, “That’s her. I did it.”
Bilyew also signed a written statement admitting the strangulation of the girl, Wiseman said.
Bilyew is charged with murder, rape and concealment of a homicide.
Judge George Oros found probable cause to hold Bilyew on the charges and continued the hearings to Tuesday.
Public Defender, Kenneth Hubler, and David Watt Jr., a Murphysboro attorney, who represents Bilyew, said they will file motions for discovery of evidence and to attack indictments returned by a grand jury Friday against Bilyew.
Wiseman, the only witness to testify, said the girl was killed before dark on June 1.
That was the day she was last seen by her father, Robert Buckner of Marion, as she was walking to a grocery store on East Main Street. Bilyew lives at 613 ½ E. Main Street.
Her body was found at 11:15 p.m. June 4 placed on the street under a light after a rock was thrown through a window at the home of Essie Byrn, 514 E. Marion St.
Wiseman said the site where the body was found is a block and a half south of Bilyew’s home.
Bilyew is held in the Williamson County jail without bail…..Southern Illinoisan
Competency Hearings Held and Bilyew is Brought to Trial
Competency hearings on Bilyew were held at the end of November 1974 and on December 13th he was held fit to stand trial. In early January, Bilyew wrote out a handwritten request to the court to dismiss all charges of rape and murder which was dismissed. A trial was scheduled to begin on March 3, 1975.
50 to 100 Year Sentence Given to Bilyew in Murder, Southern Illinoisan, April 3, 1975
John William Bilyew, 21, of Marion was sentenced today to serve 50 to 100 years in prison for murdering a 13 year old Creal Springs girl and 1 to 30 years for concealing homicide.
Bilyew was sentenced by Judge Dorothy Spomer of Cairo following a sentencing hearing in circuit court in Williamson County.
Bilyew pleaded guilty in March to murdering Frances Buckner last June 1.
The state made no recommendation on the murder sentencing but did recommend the sentencing for concealing the homicide.
Because of the nature of the crime and the character and nature of the defendant, Judge Spomer said the minimum sentence for Bilyew must be increased above the 14 year minimum set in the statutes for murder.
Bilyew will be eligible for parole on the murder and concealing a homicide charges in 12 years and 6 months.
Judge Spomer called the crime a “serious and brutal crime” and said Bilyew needs a long period for correction.
During the hearing, Bilyew’s lawyer, David Watt of Murphysboro, attempted to show that Menard Penitentiary of Chester would not be a safe place for Bilyew to be confined because of the nature of the crime he committed.
Bilyew also requested he not be sent to Menard.
The Illinois Dept. of Corrections determines where prisoners will serve in state institutions.
After sentencing, Watt gave notice that an appeal would be filed on the sentence.
Watt also criticized the use of information from medical reports on Bilyew in the Southern Illinoisan.
The appeal will not be based on the use of the reports, Watt said.
The newspaper did not publish the information until after Bilyew pleaded guilty.
Watt said the court ordered him to turn the confidential reports over to the state and they were not part of the public record.
If such records continue to be made public to newspapers, Watt said, attorneys for the defendants accused of crimes would have to choose between facing contempt charges for disobeying an order to release such reports or not use the reports in a defense, thus providing an inadequate defense…by Wanda Barras of the Southern Illinoisan
(Extracted from Southern Illinoisan articles and Marion Daily Republican photo)