May 16, 2024
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Pritzker orders flags at half-staff for fallen DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy Christina Musil

Musil, 35, remembered for devotion to her kids, love of sports, selflessness in obituary

By Camden Lazenby
DeKalb and Shabbona firefighters unfurl a large American Flag on DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore Monday, April 1, 2024, that will fly over a processional honoring DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Musil. Musil, 35, was killed Thursday while on duty after a truck rear-ended her police vehicle in Waterman.

DeKalb and Shabbona firefighters unfurl a large American Flag on DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore Monday, April 1, 2024, that will fly over a processional honoring DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Musil. Musil, 35, was killed Thursday while on duty after a truck rear-ended her police vehicle in Waterman. (Mark Busch)

SYCAMORE – Gov. JB Pritzker ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday, the same day the public is set to lay to rest the late DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina Musil, who was killed in a car crash March 28.

Musil’s police vehicle was rear-ended by a truck in Waterman in rural southern DeKalb County while on duty that night, police have said. She died from her injuries in the early morning hours March 29. A funeral is planned Thursday in DeKalb.

Pritzker’s order took effect at sunrise Tuesday, according to Illinois Department of Central Management Services. The governor also issued a statement March 30.

“Deputy Christina Musil is a hero who lost her life in the line of duty,” Pritzker said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. From serving in the Army National Guard to working as a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy, she lived a life of service, driven by a mission to keep Illinoisans safe. May her memory be a blessing.”

[ Family of fallen DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputy issues statement: ‘Our world has been turned upside down’ ]

Deputy Christina “Beana” Musil, 35, a mother of three, was conducting what DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan has called a stationary patrol when her Ford Explorer squad vehicle was struck in the back by a Kenworth commercial truck about 10:39 p.m. Musil, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran, served in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009.

DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Christina Musil, 35, a five-year member of the office, was killed Thursday, March 28, 2024, after her squad car was rear-ended by a truck, according to the Illinois State Police. Musil also was a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, the sheriff's office said.

DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Christina Musil, 35, a five-year member of the office, was killed Thursday, March 28, 2024, after her squad car was rear-ended by a truck, according to the Illinois State Police. Musil also was a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, the sheriff's office said. (Photo provided by DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

She was remembered for her humor, selflessness and having “a fervent love for sports,” according to her obituary. She also was a New York Yankees baseball and New Jersey Devils hockey fan, but cheered loudest for her children’s youth sports teams.

Musil’s funeral will be Thursday at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb. Public visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon. A walk-through visitation for law enforcement is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. Thursday, and funeral services will begin at 1:30 p.m.

A procession will follow the funeral to transport Musil from NIU back to Butala Funeral Home in Sycamore about 3 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

A public funeral for DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Christina Musil, 35, will begin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a visitation. A procession will follow the funeral to transport Musil from NIU back to Butala Funeral Home in Sycamore at approximately 3 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office. The procession route is shown here. Musil was killed in a car crash while on duty March 28, 2024.

A public funeral for DeKalb County Sheriff's Deputy Christina Musil, 35, will begin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, 2024, following a visitation. A procession will follow the funeral to transport Musil from NIU back to Butala Funeral Home in Sycamore at approximately 3 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office. The procession route is shown here. Musil was killed in a car crash while on duty March 28, 2024. (Photo provided by DeKalb County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff’s office and the DeKalb County Courthouse will be closed all day for the funeral and reopen Friday.

In a statement shared with Shaw Local News Network through the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Musil’s family said DeKalb County “lost a true community hero.”

The truck involved in the crash was driven by Nathan P. Sweeney, 44, of DeKalb according to the Illinois State Police. Sweeney was issued citations for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane use and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. No other charges have been announced as of Wednesday. A police investigation through the ISP and the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office remains open.

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