On November 22, 2025, in the late evening hours, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Galesburg Police Department, the Peoria Police Department Bomb Squad, the Yates City Police Department, BYE- Brimfield Yates City- Elmwood ambulance service, and the Yates City Fire Department, executed a court-authorized search warrant at a residence in Yates City following a report of a suspected explosive device and a suspect threatening to use the device.
The scene was secured, and specialized units conducted a thorough and safe search of the residence. All suspicious items located inside the home were collected as evidence. At this time, there is no active threat to the public, and the situation has been resolved without incident.
At the conclusion of our investigation, Robert L. Cassel, 58 of Yates City, IL was arrested on the following charges:
720 ILCS 5/29D-20 – Making a Terrorist Threat
720 ILCS 5/26-1(a)(1) – Disorderly Conduct
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office extends special thanks to the Knox County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance throughout this investigation. Their partnership ensured a thorough and timely legal response to this serious incident.
We also thank all partnering agencies for their coordinated response and the community of Yates City for their cooperation during this operation.
All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
***Courtesy of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page***
