Springfield Man Charged with 2024 I-55 Murder

Robert Lee Jr., 57, of Springfield, Illinois, has been arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death in connection with the 2024 killing of Teresa Ann Coleman, 54. Coleman's body was found in a plastic tote bag along the I-55 southbound ramp near Stevenson Drive in Springfield on March 13, 2024, following a report from an Illinois Department of Transportation worker. DNA evidence, including blood found in Lee's apartment and a men's t-shirt with Lee's DNA recovered from Coleman’s body, linked him to the murder, and a witness reported that Lee had confessed to killing a woman with a hammer. Lee, who previously served 20 years in prison for robbery, has a history of mental health issues, including PTSD and schizophrenia. The arrest followed a lengthy investigation by Illinois State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force; Lee is currently held in Sangamon County Jail pending a detention hearing. Authorities continue to investigate and encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers, offering a reward for tips leading to conviction.