Rock Falls fatal stabbing trial delayed until May

MORRISON – The trial date for a Rock Falls man accused of stabbing another man to death on Valentine’s Day has been delayed until May.

Kyle Cooper was expected to stand trial April 8 for the Feb. 14 stabbing death of Daniel Gordon; however, that date was pushed back Friday until May 13 based on the prosecution’s request for more time.

Cooper, 36, is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery in connection with 27-year-old Gordon’s death.

Cooper, who has pleaded not guilty, has demanded a speedy trial. During a pretrial conference March 19, Whiteside County Circuit Court Judge James Heuerman said that because neither the defense nor the prosecuting attorneys were asking for more continuances, he was setting Cooper’s trial date for April 8.

But on Friday, Whiteside County Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Simon said prosecutors were requesting that the trial be delayed because of the large amount of evidence and the need to receive test results from the crime lab.

Heuerman granted the request over the objection of defense attorney James Mertes. Heuerman said setting the May 13 date still is under the 90-day speedy trial deadline. A pretrial conference now is set for 9 a.m. April 23.

The case

Gordon was found unresponsive with multiple abdominal stab wounds about 2 a.m. Feb. 14 in the 600 block of West 20th Street in Rock Falls after Cooper and Gordon fought in a driveway, police said. Gordon died later that day at CGH Medical Center in Sterling, officials said.

In laying out details of the state’s case in late February, Simon said Cooper was taken into custody on an aggravated battery charge in the hours after Gordon was stabbed.

In detailing the state’s case, Simon said the events leading up to the stabbing included a verbal altercation at a bar just hours before between Cooper and Gordon, who was dating a woman who previously had dated Cooper.

Gordon and the woman left the bar and later went to a home in the 600 block of West 20th Street in Rock Falls. Simon said they were at the house when a vehicle Cooper was in pulled up to the house, and Cooper got out of the vehicle while holding something shiny in his hand.

The woman was fearful that Cooper was going to use a knife to vandalize her vehicle and approached Cooper, who began pushing the woman, Simon said. Simon said Gordon got involved to protect the woman, and Cooper jumped on top of Gordon and stabbed Gordon in the abdomen several times before others were able to pull Cooper off Gordon. Cooper then left the scene, Simon said.

Rock Falls police were called to the scene about 1:50 a.m. When officers arrived, they found Gordon in the driveway, unresponsive and suffering from severe injuries, Simon said.

Cooper, wearing blood-stained clothes, turned himself in at the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office later that morning and was charged with aggravated battery, police said. He was formally charged four days later with murder and an additional count of aggravated battery. He has been detained in the Whiteside County Jail since his Feb. 14 arrest.