Illinois man charged in Boone County hatchet attack; resident describes finding injured victim
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
An Illinois man was charged Friday with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and armed robbery after a shirtless, bleeding man was found in rural Boone County.
Boone County sheriff’s deputies arrested 56-year-old Martin Paddie Jr. of Rockford, Illinois, early Thursday. He was charged Friday on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
The victim suffered significant visible injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he was stable, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.
Mel Roberts said he woke up around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, to let his dog outside when he noticed the injured man near a large container on his property in the 8800 block of South Barry Road.
“I woke up around 4:30 to let my dog out, and I saw a man standing over behind this big container out here," Robert said. "I saw his tracks in my yard from where he walked across the field. His shirt was off, and I saw blood on him, so I tried to talk to him … He didn’t respond to me, so I went back inside and called 911."
The sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to the property around 4:26 a.m. for a report of a trespassing man who appeared to be covered in blood.
The victim told deputies that an unknown man drove up to him while he was walking and later attacked him with a hatchet, according to the sheriff’s office.
The man also said he had walked along the MKT Trail and Providence Road, among other routes, to get to Barry Road, according to a probable cause statement. He had cuts to his left arm, right shoulder, back, and the back of his head, accodring to the statement.
Deputies had already arrested Paddie after responding around 2:15 a.m. to the 1500 block of West Route K.
The sheriff’s office said Paddie called Boone County Joint Communications, said he needed help, and hung up. He allegedly called back a few minutes later and reported that he had hurt one person.
Paddie allegedly said he was homicidal and was armed with a hatchet, hammer and knife. The sheriff’s office said he was visibly upset, claimed he had killed someone, and told deputies he wanted to turn himself in.
Employees at the Break Time gas station on West Route K told ABC 17 News that Paddie was arrested in the store’s parking lot. Employees said the store was closed and no one was working when it happened.
Deputies found a hatchet with blood on it and several drops of blood inside the vehicle, according to a probable cause statement.
The sheriff’s office says that Paddie allegedly told deputies that he randomly picked up the victim on Business Loop 70 and drove him into an unincorporated portion of Boone County.
Paddie allegedly said he pulled over and attacked the victim with a hatchet. Deputies found a hatchet and evidence supporting the reported assault but could not initially locate the victim, according to the sheriff’s office.
Paddie told deputies he wasn't sure whether the victim was dead, but said the man had walked away from the attack, the probable cause statement says.
Court records from Illinois show Paddie has an active case involving three charges, including aggravated battery of an elderly person. He had a hearing in the case in July and is scheduled for another hearing in September.
Paddie also pleaded guilty in 2020 to a domestic battery charge filed against him in 2018. Charges of property damage and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence were dropped in that case.
Paddie was taken to the Missouri Psychiatric Center at University Hospital after his arrest, according to the statement. He remained at MUPC on Friday afternoon.
