KIRKSVILLE, IL – A harrowing escape from an alleged domestic assault in the early morning hours of New Year’s Eve has left a Moultrie County woman hospitalized and her boyfriend facing a list of serious felony charges.
Authorities say the ordeal unfolded shortly after midnight on December 31, when a bloodied woman appeared at a Kirksville home, desperate for help. According to investigators, the 31-year-old woman had jumped out of a moving vehicle in a frantic attempt to flee from her boyfriend, identified as Thomas A. Welch, 31.
Emergency responders arrived and found the victim with a deep wound on her forehead, so severe that her skull was visible. She was quickly taken to a local hospital for extensive treatment, which included receiving surgical staples to close the gash.
Law enforcement officials say the chain of events began roughly an hour earlier in the Mattoon area, where the woman had been riding with Welch and another man, Cody Kimery, 33. An argument reportedly broke out between the couple. During the dispute, authorities allege Welch stopped the car and struck the victim with a hard object, causing her head injury.
Investigators say when the injured woman begged to be let out of the vehicle, both Welch and Kimery refused and physically kept her inside. Over the course of about an hour, the car continued moving, with the alleged captors ignoring her repeated pleas for release.
Desperate to escape, the victim eventually hurled herself from the still-moving vehicle when it slowed to around 20 miles per hour, authorities said. She ran through the darkness to a nearby residence, catching the attention of the homeowner, who quickly called emergency services.
Moultrie County deputies later located Welch and recovered his vehicle. Inside, they found a dashboard camera that appeared to have recorded the incident. According to officials, the footage showed both men forcibly preventing the woman from leaving and captured disturbing remarks alluding to further violence.
Welch now faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery, and kidnapping. Kimery has been charged with unlawful restraint in connection with the incident.
Authorities confirmed that Welch was apprehended last week and is being held at the Moultrie County Jail without bond. The investigation is ongoing as officials seek to determine whether additional charges are warranted.
The woman is continuing to recover from her injuries, law enforcement said. Community members in Kirksville have expressed shock over the violent episode that transpired in their otherwise quiet town.