Carpentersville man charged with murder in recent shooting death of 21-year-old from DeKalb

DeKALB – A Carpentersville man who tried to flee to Wisconsin faces murder charges in the recent shooting death of a 21-year-old man from DeKalb, DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said.

The man was extradited from Dane County, Wisconsin, this week and arrested in connection to the incident, which occurred earlier this month.

Deanphony Broadnax Merchant, 22, of Carpentersville is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Caeleb Dunlap-Milam, 21, of DeKalb, who died from a gunshot wound Oct. 6 after the Oct. 3 incident. Prosecutors believe Merchant pulled the trigger. Byrd said a semi-automatic pistol was used in the shooting.

If convicted, Merchant could face life in prison and fines up to $25,000.

“He was fleeing,” Byrd said Friday. “He fled the area. There might be additional charges coming, because we have to do some ballistic checks.”

Merchant appeared before DeKalb County Associate Judge Joseph Voiland on Friday on his charges during a virtual bond hearing from the DeKalb County Jail. Merchant will remain in the jail, held with no bond until at least Tuesday, Voiland ruled. An arrest warrant for Merchant had been filed with no bond before his arrest, records show.

“Bond is going to remain as of this time a no bond,” Voiland said during his ruling Friday. “Meaning that [Merchant] will remain in the custody of the DeKalb County Sheriff.”

DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato appeared during the hearing Friday with a petition filed to deny bail to Merchant. A DeKalb County judge is expected to rule on that petition at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“I believe the appropriate measure is to continue to have no bond,” Amato said during the hearing.

According to officials from the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office, Merchant has a history of felony conviction out of Kane County, including a 2019 felony conviction of aggravated battery, and a 2019 felony conviction of mob action use of force. Merchant does not have any prior criminal history in DeKalb County, according to court records.

During the bond hearing, Public Defender Tom McCulloch was appointed to represent Merchant, who said he “was working on getting an attorney.”

“I think I’m entitled to five days so that I can communicate with Mr. Broadnax, and he can communicate with other counsel if that’s his goal,” McCulloch said.

Dunlap-Milam died from injuries he suffered during the shooting in the 800 block of Ridge Drive about 5:20 a.m. Oct. 3, according to DeKalb County court records. Dunlap-Milam was shot in the head and was found lying on the sidewalk when officers arrived, according to DeKalb County court records. Byrd previously had said the man was shot in the torso.

The 21-year-old had been taken by DeKalb paramedics to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb. He was transferred to OST St. Anthony’s in Rockford, where he died days later.

According to court records, officers uncovered one spent shell casing at the scene, and through interviews with several witnesses, identified Merchant as the suspected shooter.