An Aurora man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of his ex-wife in Oswego, the Oswego Police Department said on Thursday.
At around 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday, police were dispatched to a home in the 400 block of Valentine Way in Oswego after a caller had reported that he believed his wife was in danger after he said he observed, via home surveillance, a man run after his wife into their garage, police said.
Upon entering the residence, officers found a woman unresponsive, and Oswego Fire Protection District paramedics responded and pronounced the woman dead at the scene, officials said.
A witness had reported seeing a man running south across Wolf’s Crossing Road, the police department said previously, and officers initiated a search of the area. An officer shortly after observed a vehicle that matched a description provided by dispatch being driven south on Harvey Road near Hathaway Lane by an individual who also matched the suspect’s description, according to police. The driver was ultimately taken into custody and transported to the Oswego Police Department following a traffic stop.
On Thursday, the Oswego Police Department said on its Facebook page that charges have been filed against Ryan D. Dodd, 44, of Aurora, in connection with the woman’s death.
The investigation ultimately determined that Dodd is the woman’s ex-husband, the update from Oswego police on Thursday said. He is accused of following her as she entered her home and killing her with a knife.
Dodd is facing charges of first-degree murder, home invasion, armed violence, residential burglary and aggravated stalking, according to Oswego police.
He was processed and booked at the Oswego Police Department and taken to the Kendall County Jail, where he remains in custody as of Thursday afternoon, online records from the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office show. He has a hearing scheduled for Friday.
An autopsy of the woman was conducted on Thursday by the Kendall County Coroner’s Office, which indicated that the woman sustained multiple sharp force injuries, per the news release from the police department. The Coroner’s Office has identified the woman as Ashley A. Stewart, 41, of Oswego.