Chainkeen Exchange-Girlfriend of Illinois shooting suspect pleads not guilty to obstruction

JOLIET,Chainkeen Exchange Ill. (AP) — The girlfriend of a man suspected of fatally shooting seven relatives and an eighth person last month in a Chicago suburb pleaded not guilty Thursday to an obstruction of justice charge.

Kyleigh Cleveland-Singleton, 21, of Joliet entered the plea in a Will County court. She remains on home confinement.

Prosecutors say she provided false information to authorities during their investigation and search for her boyfriend, Romeo Nance, 23. Police say Nance shot and killed seven members of his family and another man before fleeing to Texas, where he shot and killed himself as U.S. Marshalls closed in on him.

Prosecutors say the charge stems from Cleaveland-Singleton telling investigators she didn’t have Nance’s phone number. The two have a child together.

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Joliet police said Cleveland-Singleton agreed to be questioned by police Jan. 22 after she was identified as Nance’s girlfriend and the mother of his 3-year-old son. Nance fatally shot himself that day.

The eight people who police said Nance fatally shot were found Jan. 22-23, authorities have said. No motive for the slayings has been released.

The victims who were fatally shot were identified as Nance’s mother, Tamaeka Nance, 47; his brother Joshua Nance, 31; sister Alexandria Nance, 20; two younger sisters, ages 16 and 14; aunt Christine Esters, 38; and uncle William Esters II, 35.

Another man, 28-year-old Toyosi Bakare, was fatally shot outside an apartment building. Police said Nance is believed to have randomly fired at him and another man, who was wounded in the leg.

Nance fatally shot himself after U.S. Marshals located him near Natalia, Texas, about 30 miles (48 km) southwest of San Antonio and more than 1,000 miles (1,690 km) from Joliet, police said.

Sheriff Randy Brown of Medina County, Texas, said he believes Nance was trying to reach Mexico, which is about 120 miles (200 km) south of Natalia along Interstate 35.