Convicted cop killer with Central Illinois ties given 55 years in prison

Posted on August 30, 2022

ROCKFORD – A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Central Illinois man to 55 years in prison for killing a deputy U.S. Marshal who was trying to arrest the fugitive on McLean County residential burglary charges in 2019.

A jury in April found Floyd Brown, 43, of Springfield guilty of second-degree murder for killing Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner, who was also a McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy.

Brown was also convicted of attempting to kill additional federal officers, assault, and multiple gun crimes.

Federal prosecutors presented evidence showing Brown fired 10 shots, barely missing three officers before he jumped out of a third-floor window and fired the shot that killed Keltner.

Brown then led dozens of agencies on a high-speed chase covering hundreds of miles before he was arrested near Lincoln.

Brown had been wanted on three residential burglary charges filed in McLean County Court. Around Christmas of 2018, Brown eluded authorities in Bloomington after a chase caused a multi-vehicle crash on Veterans Parkway, near G.E. Road.

Brown is scheduled to be arraigned Friday, September 2 on the burglary charges.

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