On 08-17-20 The City of Carbondale Police Department began investigating a homicide that occurred in the 1000 block of North Robert A. Stalls. The victim is Jamonte Allison, 44 years old of Carbondale. During the course of this investigation, it was determined two suspects in this case are DeVale L. Johnson, 23, of Carbondale and Victor R. Purdiman, 30, of Paducah, Ky. Carbondale Police detectives obtained arrest warrants for Johnson and Purdiman for First Degree Murder and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm. On 10-13-20 authorities located Johnson and Purdiman in Orange County, Florida and arrested them on the warrants related to the homicide investigation. Johnson and Purdiman are currently incarcerated. The Carbondale Police Department was assisted in this investigation by the Paducah, KY Police Department, the US Marshals with the Western District of Kentucky, the US Marshals Florida/ Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office. This investigation is still active and ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121.
DeVale L. Johnson, 23, of Carbondale 
Victor R. Purdiman, 30, of Paducah, Ky
Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab located on the main page of this website. Please help yourself, along with your county, its communities and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness, or have any information pertaining to, a crime. Cash rewards for information which leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!
***Previous Media Releases***
Homicide
The City of Carbondale Police Department is actively investigating the homicide from 08-17-20 that occurred in the 1000 block of North Robert A. Stalls Avenue as a result of an ongoing dispute amongst acquainted parties. The victim is identified as Jamonte Allison, 44 years old of Carbondale. Investigators are attempting to locate a dark color sport utility vehicle in addition to the black four door Dodge Charger that is related to the investigation. There is not any suspect information available for release at this time.
Homicide and Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm Investigations
On 08-17-20 at approximately 3:34 p.m., City of Carbondale Police Department officers responded to the 900 block of North Almond Street in response to shots fired. No one was injured and no property was damaged as a result of the gunshots. The investigations revealed the incident is a result of an ongoing dispute between parties that are acquaintances. The suspect fled from the area in an older silver vehicle.
On 08-17-20 at approximately 6:22 p.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of North Robert A. Stalls Avenue in reference to additional shots fired. Officers found a gunshot victim and attempted life resuscitation measures. The victim was later pronounced deceased at the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. The victim is not being identified until next of kin notifications are complete. The suspects are described as four black males. They fled from the area in a black four door Dodge Charger. This shooting is related to the earlier shooting and involved the same acquaintances in the ongoing dispute. The investigations into both cases are currently active and ongoing.
Anyone with information about these incidents is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab located on the main page of this website. Please help yourself, along with your county, its communities and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness, or have any information pertaining to, a crime. Cash rewards for information which leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!
***Jackson County State’s Attorney Media Release***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael C. Carr, State’s Attorney
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
DEVALE JOHNSON and VICTOR PURDIMAN CHARGED WITH
FIRST DEGREE MURDER OF JAMONTE ALLISON, SR.
Michael C. Carr, Jackson County State’s Attorney, announced today that Devale L. Johnson, age 23, of Carbondale, Illinois, and Victor R. Purdiman, age 30, of Paducah, Kentucky, have been arrested on warrants relating to the First-Degree Murder of Jamonte Allison, Sr., in Carbondale.
On August 17, 2020, Carbondale Police were dispatched to a residence on Robert A. Stalls Avenue for a complaint of shots fired. Jamonte Allison, Sr. was transported by ambulance to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. An extensive investigation led to three counts of First-Degree Murder being filed against Johnson and Purdiman.
Count 1 of the Information alleges that on August 17, 2020, Johnson and Purdiman, while acting together and in concert with each other, and being legally accountable for the actions of each other, without lawful justification, performed acts which caused the death of Jamonte Allison, Sr., with the intent to kill or do great bodily harm to Allison or another by shooting him with a firearm, thereby causing his death.
Count 2 of the Information alleges that on August 17, 2020, Johnson and Purdiman, while acting together and in concert with each other, and being legally accountable for the actions of each other, without lawful justification, performed acts which caused the death of Jamonte Allison, Sr., knowing that such acts created a strong probability of death of great bodily harm to Allison or another, in that they shot him with a firearm, thereby causing his death.
Count 3 of the Information alleges that on August 17, 2020, Johnson and Purdiman, while acting together and in concert with each other, and being legally accountable for the actions of each other, without lawful justification, in performing the acts which caused the death of Jamonte Allison, Sr., the defendants shot Allison with a firearm, while committing a forcible felony, aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Count 4 of the Information, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, alleges that Johnson and Purdiman, while acting together and in concert with each other, and being legally accountable for the actions of each other, knowingly discharged a firearm in the direction of Jamonte Allison, Sr.
An Information is merely a charge and not evidence. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury
On October 2, 2020, arrest warrants were issued for Johnson and Purdiman and bond was set at $1 million dollars each. Johnson and Purdiman were apprehended on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, in Orange County, Florida.
If found guilty of First-Degree Murder, the defendants face 20 to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, followed by a three-year period of Mandatory Supervised Release. Probation is not a possibility.
Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm is a Class 1 Felony. If convicted. the defendants can by sentenced to a term of imprisonment for four (4) to fifteen (15), followed by a two-year period of Mandatory Supervised Release.
The investigation is being pursued by the Carbondale Police Department. State’s Attorney Michael Carr and Assistant State’s Attorney Andrew Suthard are handling the prosecution.
A prosecutor has the responsibility of a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate. This responsibility carries with it specific obligations to see that the defendant is accorded procedural justice and that guilt is decided upon the basis of sufficient evidence. Except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor’s action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, by Supreme Court Rule, the State’s Attorney is not allowed to make statements about pending cases or investigations which would pose a serious and imminent threat to the fairness of the proceeding. Rule 3.8 Special Responsibilities of a Prosecutor. For a list of certain subjects which have been determined to pose such a threat to the fairness of the proceedings and for a list of subjects which do not, please see Rule 3.6 Trial Publicity. For any press release involving a case which has not yet been tried, please note that: a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of the jury.