Dayton man goes on trial Monday

A 49-year old Dayton man goes on trial for murder Monday in LaSalle County. The News Tribune reports William Horton is accused of fatally bludgeoning his employer, Robert Dowd and cremating him in a rural Ottawa burn pit.

A key part of the trial may be the screening in court of Horman’s April 21st statement to police. Horman later tried to get it disavowed, but Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan, Jr. said it will be admitted into the record.

Dowd was an Ottawa businessman who disappeared in April 2015. Another of his employees, 22-year old Jonathan Beckman of Wedron has provided a statement that seemingly implicates him in Dowd’s disappearance. It remains unclear if any of Dowd’s remains were found.