Benjamin Reed has been sentenced to 100 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) employee Deidre Silas. Circuit Judge John Madonia delivered the sentence on November 8, 2024, in Sangamon County. Addressing Reed in court, Judge Madonia stated, “Whatever rehabilitative potential you had, you neglected, you ignored, you let it consume you – and it cost Ms. Silas her life.”
Reed was found guilty in an August 2024 bench trial presided over by Judge Madonia, who concluded that Reed’s conduct during the murder was marked by “exceptionally brutal and heinous behavior indicative of wanton cruelty.”
During the trial, evidence showed that Silas, a Child Protection Specialist with the Illinois DCFS, had been assigned to investigate child abuse allegations, which led her to a residence in Thayer, Illinois, on January 4, 2022. At the location, Reed attacked Silas from behind, stabbing her before striking her with a sledgehammer. Afterward, Reed fled to Decatur, Illinois, where he was later arrested by Decatur Police and placed in the custody of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office.
Reed had pursued an insanity defense, asserting he was not fully responsible for his actions due to mental illness. Throughout the trial, several medical experts testified about their evaluations of Reed. However, Judge Madonia determined there was insufficient evidence to prove Reed lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his actions. Judge Madonia ultimately delivered a guilty but mentally ill verdict, noting that Reed had a mental illness as defined by Illinois law, which was present at the time of the crime.
Under Illinois law, an individual found guilty but mentally ill is sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Reed received a 100-year sentence without the possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by Sangamon County Special Assistant State's Attorney Derek Dion and Assistant State's Attorney Kendra Hansel. In response to the sentencing, Sangamon County State's Attorney John Milhiser said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Deidre Silas and with Child Protection Workers across the state who work each day to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe. The Court’s sentence today holds the defendant accountable for this brutal murder and ensures this defendant will never get out of prison and hurt anyone else.”