On August 17, 2023, 42-year-old Amanda Peterson was found dead from a gunshot in her home on the 300 block of West North Street in Watseka, Illinois. Joseph Robinson, 38, was also found fatally shot at the scene. A 21-year-old man, identified as Robinson’s son, suffered gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital, later reported to be in stable condition after surgery.

Authorities arrested 44-year-old Scott E. Peterson of Kankakee at the scene; he has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and his bond was set at $7 million. The Illinois State Police, Watseka Police Department and the Iroquois County Coroner’s Office processed the crime scene for about 16 hours while investigators continue to work to determine the circumstances that led to the shooting. The community has been described as shocked by the violence in this normally quiet town.

If anyone has information about Amanda Peterson, Joseph Robinson, or the events on August 17, please come forward to investigators.