Woman charged in stabbing death

A woman has been charged in the stabbing death of a man in Rock Falls on Sunday.

Nichole E. Elsesser, 45, of Rock Falls has been charged with first and second degree murder.

Whiteside County deputies responded to a report of a stabbing and found a man Tracy Russell, 53, dead on the front porch of a home in the 22000 block of Brooks Road in rural Rock Falls.

Police say Elsesser said in a statement “she and Tracy Russell were best friends.”

Elsesser is being held at Whiteside County Jail.

An autopsy was conducted Monday and it was determined Russell was stabbed multiple times.

Police say the investigation revealed multiple people were present at the time of the incident requiring multiple interviews before criminal charges were filed.

EARLIER UPDATE: Whiteside County’s Sheriff identified the man found dead outside a home in rural Rock Falls over the weekend.

Sheriff John Booker says he’s 53-year-old Tracy Russell.

Deputies responded to the home of South Rock Falls around 1:30 Sunday Morning.

Booker calls it an isolated case, and not a larger threat to the public.

Sheriff Booker says, “Upon investigation with our detectives, as well as Illinois State Police investigators, we determined that a homicide has been committed, and at this time, our detectives, as well as the Illinois State Police are still currently investigating interviewing some witnesses to this incident.”

Kevin Quimby says he knew Russell for about a decade, he says Russell would often hang at the Cooler in Downtown Rock Falls.

“He was a good friend of mine. I knew Tracy for a good 10 years if not longer, he was a good guy,” Quimby says.

People in the community say he wan an avid boxer, and would give the shirt off his back.”

“We always got a long, joked a round kidded around the whole works, he was a good hearted kid.”

He was well known around the community. PJ’s was another spot he would hang out at. Friends of his had a board with his name, and a candle burning to remember him.

“Oh yeah he will be missed,” says Quimby.

This is an active homicide investigation, and detectives are following leads at this time, so the information provided is limited.

Sheriff Booker says he was hoping to release more information, but due to the fact it is active, it could hurt their investigation.

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