Zaneta Winters,Jakaiden Rynearson Obituary, Death; – A man has been charged in connection with a double shooting that resulted in the deaths of 35-year-old Zaneta Winters and 20-year-old Jakaiden Rynearson.
As stated in an indictment issued on Tuesday, the accused, Stevie A. Linwood Jr., is facing two counts of first-degree murder related to the incident. Winters was pronounced brain dead in August, while Rynearson remained hospitalized until her passing in late October.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Terry Muench, Peoria Police received a call at 8 p.m. on August 11 regarding two individuals who had been shot in the 3400 block of North El Vista Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered Winters lying on the ground in front of the door with a gunshot wound to her head. Rynearson was also found shot, lying in the front yard of the residence.
Both victims were unconscious and not breathing, and they were transported to the hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries at different times. Muench noted that police reports included a witness account stating that they observed Linwood standing over one of the victims and firing a weapon. The witness also reported seeing him walking down the sidewalk with a handgun.
Surveillance footage from the vicinity corroborated this account, showing Linwood walking along the sidewalk with what appeared to be a firearm, according to the prosecutor. Authorities reported that shell casings were located both in the front yard and inside the residence. Following a search of the area, police apprehended Linwood in a nearby backyard and discovered a handgun along the route he had taken after the shooting.
Muench informed Judge Bach that during police questioning, Linwood claimed that he and Winters had been arguing over alleged infidelity. He stated that only he, Winters, and their seven-year-old son were present in the house at the time of the incident.
When asked by police about when he had obtained the gun, Linwood expressed uncertainty regarding the timing. Linwood allegedly told investigators that the gun was either in his hand or on his hip when Winters began running toward the front door, calling for help, at which point he shot her once.
