Judge denies Mt. Morris man’s request for release in shooting death of 25-year-old

OREGON — A Mt. Morris man accused of shooting his stepson multiple times, killing him after an argument in their apartment Monday, was denied pretrial release Friday.

Derek Swanlund, 44, will remain in custody in the Ogle County Jail in the death of Cameron Pasley, 25, also of Mt. Morris. Swanlund’s next court appearance is at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, for arraignment.

Swanlund is charged with three counts of first-degree murder following the Monday, April 21, shooting that police described as a domestic incident.

Swanlund appeared in Ogle County Circuit Court on Friday afternoon for a detention hearing on the murder charges and on a misdemeanor charge of using a Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun without having a Firearm Owner’s Identification card.

He was escorted from the jail into Judge Anthony Peska’s courtroom by sheriff’s deputies for the 1 p.m. hearing, wearing shackles and dressed in an orange jumpsuit issued to inmates.

During detention hearings, a judge determines whether to release a defendant from custody as their case proceeds through the court system. Criteria used by judges to make that decision include the nature of the alleged offenses, whether the defendant’s release would pose a “clear and present danger” to the community or certain individuals, and whether the defendant is considered to be a “flight risk” and likely will not appear again for scheduled court cases.

During Friday’s hearing. Assistant State’s Attorney Melissa Voss said the Mt. Morris Police Department responded first to the scene on Monday after receiving a 911 call at 4:59 p.m. from Pasley’s mother in which she said her husband had shot her son.

Voss said when a Mt. Morris police officer arrived at the scene, she saw Swanlund walking away from the apartment complex while carrying a black and silver handgun in his right hand.

Voss said a verbal argument inside the apartment evolved to “shoulder bumping” with Pasley, after which Swanlund shot him. “He [Swanlund] said he felt intimidated and he shot him [Pasley],” Voss told Peska.

Voss said when more officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Pasley inside the apartment, bleeding from multiple gun shot wounds.

Pasley was pronounced dead at OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon after being transported from the scene by Mt. Morris EMS.

Voss said Pasley’s mother told police she had entered a different room after arguing with Swanlund and after he “belly bumped” her into her son.

“She went into another room and she heard a shot and heard Cameron say ‘He shot me’,” Voss told the court.

Assistant Public Defender Eric Morrow said Swanlund had purchased the gun legally when he lived in North Carolina. He said Swanlund was originally from Belvidere and had no criminal history, other than one misdemeanor charge for which he received and completed court supervision.

Morrow said Swanlund had lived in Mt. Morris for 10 years and had been consistently employed while residing there.

“He’s always had a job,” Morrow told Peska, adding Swanlund had relatives who lived in Byron.

Morrow also told the court that Swanlund had cooperated with police when they arrived at the scene.

“He was not aggressive in any way,” Morrow said.

He argued that the court could set conditions to enable Swanlund to be released from custody, such as having no contact with the victim’s family, electronic monitoring, home detention, and being ordered to stay out of Mt. Morris.

“I realize these are serious charges,” argued Morrow. “But there are conditions that could be put in place for his release. He has led a law-abiding life. He was compliant with law enforcement and followed their commands.”

“The defendant was walking away with blood on his shoes,” argued Voss. “He poses a real and present threat to the community and those around him. He [Swanlund] bumped and pushed her [Pasley’s mother] and when she told him she would not tolerate it, he shot Cameron.”

Voss said Swanlund had also broken Illinois law by not registering the handgun.

“The defendant has already shown he does not follow orders,” Voss said.

Peska said Swanlund’s lack of criminal history did not mitigate (lessen) the risk of releasing him from custody.

“There was an argument that escalated to shoulder bumping and then escalated to retrieving a gun and shooting his stepson,” Peska said. “Then he admitted to police he shot him multiple times.”

Peska said Swanlund also demonstrated “hostility and aggression” by “belly bumping” Pasley’s mother and then leaving the apartment after the shooting.

“He left the scene of the incident, walking down the street with a gun in his hand,” said Peska. “There’s no greater condition than ‘don’t shoot people, don’t kill people’.

“There are no conditions that the court can impose to protect the safety of others,” Peska said in denying Swanlund’s pretrial release.

Pasley was a 2018 graduate of Oregon High School and a full-time custodian, previously the night custodian at the Blackhawk Center, where the school’s physical education classes and competition basketball and volleyball games are held, and had recently moved to days.

On Tuesday, the Oregon School District issued a statement about Pasley saying the “OCUSD family experienced a heartbreaking loss.”

“Cameron will be remembered for his easy-going personality, his ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, and the calming presence he brought into every room. He had a bright future ahead of him and was someone who made even stressful situations feel manageable,” the statement read.

A Go Fund Me fundraiser has been organized by Pasley’s sister, Karley McGuire.

Finch Funeral Home & Crematory is handling Pasley’s arrangements. His obituary can be viewed there.