Sangamon County has seen a slight increase in homicides in 2014. The State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/13NaFns ) reports seven homicides were investigated in the past year, compared to five in 2013. Police made arrests in five of the 2014 homicide cases.
Chief Deputy Joe Roesch of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office says investigators spent weeks working on the first homicide. Three people were eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 31 shooting death of 24-year-old Justin Sharp.
Springfield police also arrested three people in connection with a March shooting death and two people in connection with a May stabbing death.
Roesch says the relatively low number of local homicides makes it difficult to determine any trends. Fourteen homicides were investigated in 2012.
